


unfinished business - unwritten ideas

by trixiechick



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, D.Gray-man, Free!, K (Anime), Natsume Yuujinchou | Natsume's Book of Friends, Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime), ヒカルの碁 | Hikaru no Go (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Multi, unfinished ideas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:26:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 26,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28438347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trixiechick/pseuds/trixiechick
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10





	1. explanation

at a certain point, towards the beginning of this (2020) year, i decided that i was no longer a fic writer. the main impetus to this conscious choice was basically... i don't participate in fandom anymore, particularly as a reader, and i don't have a connection to fandom writers anymore. i just felt like... i wasn't a PART of the community anymore, and fanfiction is DEFINITELY an expression of a community. we write about characters in series we love as a way to connect with the other people who love the things we do. at least for me, that was always a huge part of it. but, due to aging and my mental health issues, i have been separating myself more and more from participation and interaction with fandom. now, i've settled into a seat in the spectator circle, just watching fandom casually going by. and, you know, that's fine. that's where i settled myself, so, moving forward... i feel like i should move in a different direction. i don't know if i can still consider myself a writer, but. who knows.

however, i do have a lot... a LOT of unfinished fandom business, things i meant and really WANTED to write but didn't get to. this is my way of saying goodbye and finishing that unfinished business. it's about closure, i guess. here, i'll just... toss out the plans that i had had. the bits and pieces i wrote but never finished. that way, those ideas that never fully got their wings will at least be able to be released into the world. that's... something.

that being said... i desperately, desperately, desperately hope to finish Eros in Progress. i never intended to leave that unfinished. i don't know what to say. i loved and do love that story and i don't want to leave it half (yes, half!) finished. i can't really make promises, but i hope... i hope.

so, er, enjoy. if you have any questions, or anything else, let me know, i'd love to hear it. if you feel inspired by any of these ideas, go for it (just - well, don't just TAKE anything i've actually written, ha, but the **ideas**...) i'm not doing anything else with these. and. thank you.


	2. yuri!!! on ice - untitled fairy tale-esque idea

this is an idea i had one night going to bed and it so overtook my head that i had to get up and write myself an email to remind myself of the key points. so, i know this happened on February 20, 2017. sigh. here's what i wrote:

Prince Victor   
Russian fairy yuri curses him  
Cannot feel love  
Searches the world   
Directed to hasetsu by monks  
Yuri/eros yuri - possessed by yokai  
Victor must win yuri's heart to break yuri's possession but how can he do that without his own heart?

so, Victor is a prince in a wintery kingdom in the north. there, Yuri (Plisetsky) is a fairy who is in the court, but Victor always delights in teasing the fairy. one day, he goes too far, and Yuri curses him, telling him he will never be able to love because he's so heartless. at first, he doesn't think much of it, but gradually he finds that it's true... nothing in life really feels that special anymore. he tries to get Yuri to reverse the curse, but Yuri brushes him off, so against King Yakov's wishes, he embarks on a journey around the world to regain his heart. 

in a temple in Tibet, some monks suggest that he go to Hasetsu, that there is a legend about love spell from there. Victor goes there, planning to go the temple, which he learns is near the ninja castle (ie, where the skating rink would be in the normal world eheh). he arrives, however, in Hasetsu in the evening, so he goes to stay in an inn first. after enjoying the outdoor bath, he gets a nice, cool drink and takes it outside with Makkachin to enjoy. there, he meets Yuri... dancing in the moonlight. Victor drops his drink, transfixed. he has a brief encounter with Yuri, and it's a little unsettling, because Yuri is very alluring and teases him, but he also behaves a little strangely, making Victor think he might not be human, a feeling reinforced by the fact that Makkachin seems afraid of him. Yuri skips off, and Victor tries to follow him, but he gets lost quickly. Makkachin leads him back to the inn. the next morning, he talks to the innkeepers about the temple, and he starts to ask about the boy he met last night when Yuri comes down. Yuri seems to have no recollection of meeting Victor, and even stranger, Makkachin ADORES Yuri. so, wait, what was that last night?

turns out Yuri's friends are the ones running the temple (yes, the Nishigori's heh) so Yuri takes Victor and Makkachin up to the temple. on the way there, they chat. it really feels like the night before was a dream, but he does find Yuri rather cute and innocent. they get to the temple, and Victor sees the Nishigoris... and their chaotic young temple maidens, the triplets of terror, lol. however, to Victor's disappointment, they don't have any kind of love spell... there IS an old tradition about praying at the temple for love, but... the Nishigori's share a look. Victor doesn't know what's going on, but they seem to suggest that their temple really can't do anything for him. still, Nishigori offers to give Victor a kind of spiritual cleansing, but Victor has had that before.

Victor goes back to the inn with Yuri. Victor is disappointed that the temple can't seem to help him but he decides to stay a while, anyway, because he's intrigued by Yuri.

that night, he goes out again, and once again finds Yuri under the moon. this time, he's able to follow him, and Yuri leads him up to the temple, where they end up in a small, secluded grove behind the temple, where there is a strange monument that is clearly very old because it's been worn down. Victor can't make out what the monument is supposed to be, but anyway, he tries to talk to Yuri, but Yuri is very odd, once again. for one, he seems to be talking about himself in the third person, and he tells Victor that he's too late, Yuri belongs to him now, and no matter what claim Victor might have, he can't have Yuri. Yuri then dances off, and while he chases him, Victor runs into the Nishigoris. 

when the sun comes up, they find Yuri who has curled up in the grass and fallen asleep. they take Yuri back to the inn, and then Victor, the Nishigori's, and Yuri's parents sit down and they tell Victor the truth.

the temple has no special love powers, but it has for centuries sealed away a yokai that can manipulate people's feelings, which led to the old tradition about love and their temple. however, the yokai can be very dangerous in that... once in a while, the yokai will possess a human. under a full moon, the yokai can fully control the human. basically, the yokai feeds off the human, specifically their passions, until they leave the human hollowed out and unable to hold the yokai anymore. things are getting desperate. Nishigori has been frantically searching for any answers, but in the past, it seems, none of the victims of the yokai have been saved. in fact, Nishigori has contacted an exorcist, but they haven't come to Hasetsu yet.

Victor does decide to stay in Hasetsu, at least for a while. he and Yuri get close, especially since Yuri and Makkachin have definitely fallen for each other. they get to know each other. numerous times, Victor bemoans his curse, because he feels like he might be able to help Yuri more if he still had his heart... like an idiot, he doesn't realize he's already in love with Yuri, and Yuri is definitely interested in him. the next time that the yokai takes over Yuri's body, Victor is with Yuri when it happens. the yokai warns Victor that they don't care if Yuri and Victor are tied together by fate - Yuri offered himself to the yokai, so he belongs to the yokai now.

the exorcists arrive (surprise! it's Natsume and Tanuma from natsume yuujinchou!!!) and they are able to speak to the yokai. in the end, it boils down to... as a child, Yuri did meet the yokai, and he was tricked into allowing the yokai to enter him, but because Yuri and Victor are bound by a red string of destiny, there's a chance they can force the yokai from Yuri's body. but, Yuri and Victor have to solidify their bond so they can nullify the 'agreement' with the yokai. first, they have to push the yokai out of Yuri's body, and then Yuri and Victor need to do something to solidify their bond...

Nishigori is opposed, since Yuri and Victor have only known each other a month, and well... 'solidify their bond' means something like... well, either a physical bond, or a commitment... nope, Nishigori doesn't agree to either of these!! Yuri is also shy about it. after all... Victor wouldn't want to be bound to someone plain and boring like him. Victor is surprised by how much he objects, how much he wants, NEEDS to help Yuri. he knows that they haven't known each other long, but he's also never met anyone like Yuri, and being with Yuri is so much fun, and he wants to stay with Yuri, help him... eventually, Yuri and Victor make a decision, and they go through with the exorcism. they push the yokai out of Yuri's body, and then Yuri and Victor stay in the temple, which has been protected by wards so the yokai can't get in, but they keep trying to. 

Victor and Yuri can talk now... while the yokai was in Yuri's body, they were affecting Yuri's thought, preventing him from remembering the yokai and anything that happened while they had control of his body. now, though, it's like Yuri has awoken from a dream. Yuri still feels guilty for bringing Victor into this... after all, Victor is this wonderful prince, and Yuri is just... but Victor won't let him finish the sentence. after going through this, Victor has realized something. he _definitely_ has found his heart again. his heart is Yuri. saving Yuri is the same thing as saving himself. and anyway... it's not like he doesn't WANT to *coughs* _solidify his bond_ Yuri. in fact, he is very much pro _solidifying his bond_ Yuri. VERY much. 

soooo... yeah, Yuri and Victor have sex in the temple. Nishigori realizes this and is very disturbed and unhappy, grumbling about needing to purify the temple now. *coughs* however, since they... solidified their bond, the yokai has been quiet. they might have done enough already, but Victor is still interested in marrying Yuri. Yuri's parents and Mari come, and Yuri and Victor decide to get married, Victor promising to take Yuri back to his kingdom (Yuri had previously said that he wanted to travel the world but vaguely referred to some reason why he wasn't able to leave Hasetsu.... he didn't know why, but it was because of the yokai...)

so yes, they get married... and everyone is happy. in the epilogue, they go back to Victor's kingdom, where he introduced Yuri to Yakov, to Yakov's shock. when he teases Fairy Yuri about breaking his curse... Fairy Yuri just rolls his eyes. he never _cursed_ cursed him, he just called him heartless, it wasn't some kinda magic curse!! stupid Victor!!

heh.


	3. Free!  ~ Happy Household Club

sigh.

in many ways, this is less regrettable than many others here, but given that i probably can't even remember all the things i planned and didn't get to...

first of all, haru was going to connect with his half siblings from his philandering father. i imagined that haru's sister would be in high school, and she would skip some day to come to find them. i can't remember how it would play out, but... haru would be a good big brother, and after meeting his sister, he'd win over his father's wife and his little brother... and eventually his father...

then there's sousuke. 

sousuke was going to end up going to makoto's clinic for some physical therapy, and just randomly makoto would be assigned to take care of him. they would have a very stilted reunion, and sousuke would ask if he was still in contact with rin. this would lead to makoto bringing rin sousuke's contact info. rin would fully freak out. makoto and haru never knew why rin lost contact with sousuke, anyway, so rin reluctantly tells them that sousuke... didn't approve of him getting involved with both makoto and haru. (actually, it'd probably turn out that sousuke thought it would be a bad idea because threeways didn't last in his mind, and makoto and haru would end up leaving rin hearthbroken - but rin wasn't sure if sousuke was more upset at the idea of him in a threesome or just him with other guys...). as it turned out, sousuke reinjured himself because he'd been building furniture for his first child. so, when rin finally contacts him, he invites sousuke and his wife to come and visit them in their new home. rin is panicking like crazy, makoto is trying to keep him calm, but with rin panicking, makoto is panicky, too. and haru is trying to ignore them, all, 'why even get worked up over that guy?' and he plays with the cats. sousuke shows up and it turns out his wife is... Aki-chan! (i think there was also going to be a side fic about Aki and her feelings for the boys... she first had a crush on haru, but then decided he was too... haru... and she developed a crush on makoto. when they left elementary school, she even kissed his cheek, but makoto was too innocent and too gay - and focused on haru and rin - to realize... then later she and rin ended up on the national swim team getting ready for the olympics. Aki i think was going to be an alternate, but seeing how dedicated rin was up close, she became interested. she and rin chat, and she finds out that rin is with makoto AND haru, and after teasing him about hogging all the good guys, she admits she can see how it fits.) so, yeah, Aki is pregnant, and the guys are all happy to see them both again, and amazed that they got together. (another aside... a million years ago i did a 'giveaway' to let people name characters in hhc. i don't know if i even really got to introduce properly ANY of the characters, but i think Aki and Sousuke's baby was going to be one of the names.)

anyway, it ends, therefore, happily, and rin and sousuke reconnect and rekindle their friendship, and Aki rekindles her friendship with all of them, and haru insists on being their baby's godfather, even though they both have siblings, lol.

let's see... Kou and Nitori were going to get married. that was established. i think they would have a baby who would also be a name from the contest. also, their baby would be only a few years younger than rin and kou's new half sib. ^___^

rei and nagisa.... ok, so they were going to end up with a child, too, but... they would have a very good friend who was a model. she started her modeling career very young, and as a result, she and her family were on bad terms (probably her family was very conservative, and didn't approve of her career and life choices). she is in her mid twenties now, her career is fizzling, and she gets pregnant, but wasn't sure who the father was. worse, when she was getting her check ups, she would be diagnosed with cancer. she came to them for help, and eventually came to the difficult choice to have the baby before getting serious treatment. she has the baby, and starts chemo, but after a period of time, she does die. Rei and Nagisa become the baby's parents. it's then obviously a bittersweet thing, because since her diagnosis, they'd been living with her to help take care of her and then the baby, so they already love the baby (who also would have been named by the contest) but now they've lost their friend... this would also trigger a change of lifestyle, and they move back to Japan, to Tokyo, to raise the baby.

i genuinely can't remember what else i had planned, except... this last part is the biggest undone part...

it involves Ran, Ren, and... Hayato. i don't actually know how close in age these characters are canonically, but i decided for the purposes of Happy Household Club that they would be (approximately at least) the same age. so, i had this whole setup in mind where they are in high school together, and i'll post what i have of it below, but basically... the three of them would have a very fluid platonic/romantic relationship - in that, Hayato's relationship with both Ran and Ren would be fluidly platonic/romantic, not... obviously not Ran and Ren, they're just familial, ofc. they essentially share Hayato. in school, it somewhat seemed that Ren and Hayato were closer, but maybe Hayato felt more drawn to Ran, but Ran was more outgoing... something. anyway, to the current timeline... or maybe, a few years down the line in the current timeline...

Ran comes to Makoto, and asks for help. see... she's gotten pregnant. (yes, another character named by the contest) she wants to have the baby, but she doesn't want to involve the father, and she's afraid to talk to their parents. so, she and Makato go together, but ofc Makoto has his own problems with the idea of his little sister getting knocked up...

after much (but not really) drama, and other stuff, Ren contacts Ran and lets her know that Hayato is going to be living near 'home' again. Hayato had gone to law school, his dream was to become a judge, and after finishing law school and working as a lawyer etc, and he's gotten a posting near Iwatobi to begin working toward getting a judge-ship... getting seated as a judge... whatever the term is. (i did do some research at the time, lol...) this would have involved seeing Kisumi again, and maybe Ikuya?????? i don't remember, i kinda sorta think kisumi/ikuya would be cute/fun tho, but anyway, the point is, at first Ran was avoiding seeing Hayato, and this was mysterious, until it became clear that as soon as Hayato realized that Ran was pregnant, he'd also realize that he was the father. this would lead to some cute big brother moments where Kisumi was really excited that he and Makoto would be sharing a niece/nephew, and Makoto was struggling with being angry that Hayato got his sister knocked up but not really knowing how to express it... and going to Rin for advice, lol. and. yeah, eventually it would come out that Ran didn't want to burden Hayato with knowing about this because it happened just when he was home for a visit and they messed around, she wasn't sure how he felt about her, and she didn't want to get in the way of his career objectives. but yeah, they'd come to terms eventually.

it's a lot. required a lot of backstory. and, i never got to any of it. frustrating. but anyway, here's what i DID have of the Ran and Ren with Hayato backstory, including a pretty nice break border thingy that i made!! the name of the story would have been pal • pi • **ta** • tions

i literally have no idea now why i broke it up like that... whatever... here's what i have!! (mostly just an outline!!)

It took all the courage in his tiny body - courage he hadn't known he'd _had_ , not until he opened his eyes and looked up at the sky as he kicked his legs in the water - to reach up and take the hand of his coach. He got his two hands around just two of his coach's fingers, but he had them in a nice, tight grip, and it made him feel _secure_ in some strange way. He looked up, smiling.

Warm green eyes watched him, and his coach's face broke into a grin, and Hayato felt his heart pound and throb like it never had before. His stomach did a flip, too. It felt like some wonderful sickness.

Coach Tachibana was the first one to make him feel this way.

Nervous, he fiddled with his tie, glancing at the clock to see how much more time there was before class began. _Now_ , Hayato was wishing he'd gone to the high school closer to home. Even if it was Kisumi-niisan's school, and his reputation was _still_ strong... The thing was, Hayato didn't know anyone. He wasn't charming and outgoing like his big brother. He was more confident around people he knew. Although...

If he'd felt confident with his friends from middle school, he probably wouldn't have chosen to try something new. He did know a few people from middle school who chose Iwatobi High School, but they weren't assigned to his class. 

Dejected, Hayato waited in the back of the classroom for the teacher.

His homeroom teacher was an older man with thinning hair. He came in and started class before he even put his book down, barking out his name and how he expected his students to be ready for class to begin the _moment_ the bell rang. He slammed his books down on the desk and peered out at the class from behind his dark-framed glasses, sighed, and then he pulled out his roll call book. 

Hayato waited for his own name, ready to answer immediately. He was so focused on _his_ name, the rest of the names blurred through his consciousness, which was probably bad, but one name stood out. It wasn't as if Tachibana was _that_ uncommon a name, but the boy who answered just had something about him... It made the hair on the back of Hayato's neck stand on end. Throughout the morning, Hayato watched him. _Tachibana Ren_. Of course, his hair was a different color... his eyes weren't green... he didn't have the same affable expression and air of kindness and confidence. But.

At lunch, Hayato got to his feet, and determined not to be a coward, he went over to Tachibana Ren. His throat was dry and he wasn't sure what to say, exactly, but...

"E-excuse me?" he croaked, and he instantly regretted everything. _Everything_.

Tachibana Ren blinked, and looked up at Hayato, surprised. "Ah, yes?" he squeaked back.

It was cute. Hayato smiled.

"Ren, I think mom gave you my lunch again," a girl said, sitting down on Ren's desk.

Ren frowned at her, and he cradled his bento box to his chest. "No, you just don't think she gave you enough food. You can't have mine."

"Ah..." Hayato blinked. The girl on Ren's desk was... pretty. Really pretty. A little tomboyish, but in a sexy way. 

Ren smiled at him and the girl frowned. "I'm sorry, my sister didn't mean to interrupt you," he said kindly.

Just like his brother might have...

"I didn't even _know_ I was interrupting, where did he come from?" the sister asked crankily.

"I know this is really weird, but are you related to Coach Tachibana?" Hayato blurted out, too dazed by the sudden flash of his first crush combined with the overwhelming presence of this girl. He blinked as the two siblings stared at him, and then he realized... "Er! That is...!" Of course, they wouldn't know him as a coach...!

The siblings looked at each other, and then, as if they had been telepathically communicating, their expressions changed. Ren looked at Hayato with shining eyes, and Hayato was aware of how incredibly handsome he was, and then Ren's sister leaned over Ren's desk, grinning at Hayato. "You mean oniichan, don't you? But he was only a coach at Iwatobi Swim Club Returns for a short while. That was like, what? Well, he was in his third year of high school, so... just about four years ago, right?" she asked Ren.

Ren nodded, and smirked at Hayato.

"You were one of oniichan's students?" Ren's sister asked him, and her tone sounded one part pleased and one part jealous.

"Ah, yeah, yeah, that's right," Hayato agreed, embarrassed. "Well, h-he made a big impact on me, b-because..." of a lot of reasons, but what he would tell Coach Tachibana's siblings was... "he helped me overcome my fear of the water."

Ren and his sister looked at each other, and whatever Hayato had said was clearly _highly_ significant to them. They looked back at Hayato, and their eyes were gleaming. "Who are you again?" Ren's sister asked.

Hayato flushed. "Ah, I'm sorry! I'm Shigino H-Hayato. It's nice to meet you!" he greeted her, bowing his head.

She beamed. "Well, I'm Tachibana Ran, and this is my cute little brother Ren," she ruffled Ren's hair.

"Hey!" Ren complained about his hair or being called 'cute' and 'little' or possibly both. He pushed her hand away and smoothed his hair down petulantly. 

"Coach Tachibana is our big brother Makoto," Ran grinned at Hayato, ignoring Ren. "So, tell me, Hayato... what are you doing after school?"

Her expression told Hayato that Ran had _plans_. His heart thudded painfully in his chest, and he was absolutely mesmerized by her expression.

He was lost.

"Just dump your bag anywhere," Ran told him, tossing her backpack to the far end of the room.

Ren squeezed around Hayato, smirking at him. Ren's eyes were not green like his brother's, but he reminded Hayato _so much_ of Makoto, Hayato got tongue-tied looking into Ren's eyes.

"You can make yourself comfortable," Ran frowned at him. She undid her ribbon and pulled it out.

"S-sorry," he smiled, awkwardly putting his backpack down next to the door.

She frowned at him a little, and slipped off her jacket. "Ah, I wish I was in class with you two! My class is _noooo_ fun at all! The class rep is so snotty, and all the dorks in our year are in my class," she sighed, taking off her jacket.

Hayato blinked.

"Oh, c'mon," Ren laughed. "You just don't like it because you're in class with Nanami-chan."

Ran stuck her tongue out at Ren, and Hayato looked at him in confusion. "Who is Nanami-chan?"

" _No one_ ," Ran grumbled.

"We were in middle school with her," Ren explained to Hayato. "She and I dated last year. Ran's mad because I've been kissed and she hasn't been."

"Oh, right, because I want to suck face with some glasses-wearing moron," Ran jeered.

And she started to unbutton her shirt.

Hayato's brain wasn't able to process _that_ many things at once. Ren had dated some girl, and for some reason this made Hayato feel strange. Ran was now taking off her shirt, and her bra was pink and it had little blue flowers stitched on it.

"Hayato, turn around," Ran teased him, but she was already taking off her bra, and she turned, but Hayato could still see part of her...

He turned, his face red, and Ren laughed at him, barely able to keep his lips pressed together.

Hayato squeezed his eyes shut. What was _with_ this family? Hayato's heart was pounding so hard, he felt faint!

Ran jumped onto Ren's bed, and stretched out. She was wearing a t-shirt and shorts. Hayato looked over, and her shirt and skirt were on her bed. Ren scooted up his bed to give Ran more room, but Hayato had the feeling that no matter how much room Ren gave her, Ran would take more. 

Ran looked at Hayato, still standing in front of the door, and she smiled at him crookedly. She patted the bed next to her. "Hayato, stop looking so stiff! Come and sit down!"

"Stop being so informal with him!" Ren pinched his sister, and she squirmed, swatting at his hand. "We just met him!"

"But we're already friends!" Ran asserted, and Ren didn't argue with her.

Hayato sat down on the corner of the bed, tucking his leg under him. "You two... still share a room?"

They looked at him in perfect twin unison. "Well, obviously," Ran replied flatly.

"Well, I just... I mean, you're in high school now, and... the other bedrooms?" Hayato managed to get out.

"There's just our parents' bedroom and oniichan's room," Ran replied calmly.

"Oh, I thought..." Hayato started, but he didn't really know what he'd been thinking.

"Oniichan is coming back after graduation," Ran said firmly.

Ren smiled at Hayato, and Hayato's stomach flipped. "Oniichan emptied his room out so we could spread out, but we... we decided that... we preferred it to be oniichan's room."

"Oh, you really love your big brother, huh?" Hayato teased them gently.

"So do you!" Ran pinched Hayato's leg, and he moved away, alarmed, needing to put his leg down to keep from falling off the bed. Ran laughed at him, turning over to her back.

Her breasts moved under her t-shirt.

"I-I don't... I didn't mean..." Hayato stumbled, staring at Ran's chest.

"Well, _we_ don't like him like that, either!" Ren snickered, and Ran laughed, too, and the two of them laughing...

Hayato's heart might never calm down.

"Your brother is friends with my brother," Hayato clumsily told them.

Two sets of eyes blinked at him, and he felt his face getting hot. "Really? Does your brother swim?" Ran asked him.

"No, he plays basketball. Well, he played basketball... in school, you know, he doesn't, he's not on the college team, I mean, I'm sure he still plays..." Hayato got confused.

Ran and Ren looked at each other, and they both smiled. Hayato felt all his insides swish around.

"I... don't think he's coming home after college, though," Hayato said quietly. Kisumi was in school in Kyoto, and he kept telling Hayato about all the awesome things he was doing everyday...

Ran and Ren watched Hayato, and then Ran reached out and caressed Hayato's thigh.

He stared at her hand. He knew why she was doing it; she understood how he felt and she was comforting him. He didn't think she understood what it felt like to him.

"We should join a club together," Ran declared.

From the tone of her voice and just _everything_ , Hayato had the feeling that Ran routinely said things and they just came to be because of it.

"What kind of club?" Ren asked, sounding bored, but obedient.

"Were you two in the swim club in middle school?" Hayato asked.

Ren smirked and Ran made a face. "Well, we _were_ , but we don't want to do _that_ anymore."

"Ran lost a big race and threw a fit and the coach benched her for the rest of the year so she swore she'd never swim again," Ren told Hayato in a stage whisper.

"It's just stupid! The whole thing is stupid! I don't like sports!" Ran squirmed her butt around, crossing her arms over her chest.

Her arms squeezed her breasts together...

"What club were you in?" Ran asked Hayato.

Hayato realized that he'd been asked a question, so he cleared his throat, but he couldn't quite look away from Ran's chest immediately. "Ah... I was in the... basketball club... but I'm... I'm shorter than my big brother, so I... I would never be a regular."

"Well, we couldn't all join the basketball club, anyway," Ran shrugged it off.

Hayato blinked, and then he smiled. "A cultural club then?"

"Flower arranging?" Ren suggesting, snickering. He poked his sister's arm.

She swatted him away. "No, shut up."

Hayato had a feeling there was a story there. He had a sense of the shared history there, not just the fourteen-fifteen-some years when he'd never knew they existed, but the fact that their life was multiplied because it had always been two for them.

"Calligraphy?" Hayato heard himself say.

Ran sighed. "No, I have terrible penmanship, that would be no fun."

"Well... manga club?" Ren frowned. "That would be like... reading manga, right?"

"Yeah, true," Ran frowned. "Well... that might get boring, though. I guess we could watch anime and play games, too?"

"Are you two really into that stuff?" Hayato asked.

Ran and Ren both shrugged. "Well..." Ran looked at Ren and Ren looked at Ran. "As much as anybody?"

"The manga club might be a bit hardcore for us, then," Hayato suggested.

"Hm," Ran furrowed her brow, thinking.

"Is there a shogi club?" Hayato asked, staring at the window in their room. He couldn't see beyond it too well, like his vision blurred when it ventured beyond the space that Ran and Ren occupied.

"Do you play shogi?" Ren asked, curious.

"A... a little?" Hayato shrugged.

Ran made a face. "We can do all that stuff here. Read manga, play games, watch stuff. Oh! That's what we should do! We should just make our own Come Home And Play Club!"

"Like the Going Home Club?" Ren asked, amused.

"Or! Even better! We'll be the After School Napping Club!" Ran looked _very_ pleased with herself. "I read something that said that high school kids never get enough sleep. This is bad for our bodies and minds, so the purpose of our club will be to increase our performance and happiness through after school napping!"

"We just started high school, are we already sleep deprived?" Ren asked her.

"C'mon, c'mon, let's nap!" Ran grabbed Hayato and Ren by their shirts, and pulled them down. She made Hayato put his head on her tummy and Ren put his head on her shoulder. "There, there. Let's nap."

Hayato tried not to look up over the curves of Ran's body, and he ended up meeting Ren's amused, gentle, beautiful eyes.

It felt like his heart wouldn't be able to keep up with itself.

Ren had his eyes covered, and he kept crowding closer and closer to Hayato.

Ran was chanting softly, "Get 'em, get 'em, get 'em, get 'em!" as she tapped her fists together. She swayed back and forth, her body pushing against Hayato's.

Hayato, stuffed between the two of them, stared blankly at the television. The boyfriend was getting his hands into the girlfriend's shirt, and the closet door was slowly opening unbeknownst to them. 

Ran started to squeal with delight, and Ren picked just the wrong moment to peek between his fingers. He yelped, and pressed his face against Hayato's shoulder. Ren's soft hair was just grazing Hayato's jawline.

The boyfriend's throat was slashed, and Hayato saw it through a pink haze of bliss.

The door opened suddenly, flooding the bedroom with light from the hall. "Goodness! Look at you three!"

Hayato jumped, panicked.

The twins' mother smiled at them affectionately. "It's the middle of the afternoon and you've got yourselves entombed! Oh, Hayato-kun, it's so nice to see you again."

"S-sorry to tr-trouble y-you, Tachibana-s-san," Hayato bowed his head down awkwardly.

Ran sighed heavily and got the remote, pushing pause. "We _have_ to watch it like this, mom, you can't watch a horror movie in a bright room!"

Ren whimpered.

"Well, don't overdo it, remember that your brother was up all week the last time you had a horror fest," their mother warned Ran.

"Aw," Ran pouted, and Ren sniffled.

"Are you staying for dinner, Hayato-kun?" she smiled brightly at him.

Hayato's heart was racing. "Ah, um, n-no, n-no ,th-thank you, T-T-Tachibana-s-san, I-I-I-I'll go a-after the m-movie." If they'd all been naked, Hayato wouldn't feel more guilty! In fact, he couldn't believe Tachibana-san was just smiling at them! Obviously, she was just being polite! She'd just found them...!

"Aw, that's too bad," Tachibana-san pouted. "My husband can't wait to meet you. Now, sometime soon, maybe on the weekend, you'll have to stay for dinner, ok?"

"Y-y-y-yes, ma'am," Hayato dipped his head down, hoping he was concealing his expression.

Tachibana-san shook her head. "Ran, you've got both these boys thoroughly spooked. It wouldn't kill you to at least lift the shades or something!"

" _Mom_ ," Ran rolled her eyes.

"Right, right," Tachibana-san rolled her eyes right back at her daughter. "Let me know if you kids need anything!"

"Will do, mom," Ran saluted her mother, and the door closed again.

Ran didn't start the movie right away.

"Hayato, you totally jumped when the door opened," Ran laughed. "I didn't think anyone could be as big a baby as Ren!"

"Even oniichan doesn't like movies like these!" Ren defended himself. He snuggled closer to Hayato, putting his arm around Hayato's shoulder. "Things that are scary are scary!"

"Aw, don't worry," Ran cooed. She slipped her arm over Hayato's waist. "I'll protect you two scardey-cats from the nasty hook-hand killer," she promised.

And she kissed Hayato's cheek.

The movie started again, and Ren got close enough to Hayato that their bodies were entirely pressed together along their sides, and Ran and Ren both still had their arms around him. Hayato watched, keeping his head down to hide his goofy smile, but he was sure his heart was pounding hard enough to shake the bed.

-hayato misses school because of a cold, and ran and ren visit-

-studying for finals, and makoto and rin visit-

-ran in trouble with her mom, and ren and hayato on ren's bed, kissing-

-go out camping to watch the stars, ran decides to take a late night skinny dip, ren tells hayato to follow her, hayato and ran have sex out in the lagoon-

-next school year, ran is still in a different class, hayato has to buy her a present to make it up to her, ren comes with him to shop, they end up making out in a photobooth-

-ran is confessed to, and she decides it might be fun to string him along, hayato feels strangely numb, but ren is overly concerned with hayato's feelings, and they have sex in makoto's room while ren is trying to make hayato feel better-

-ran dumps her boyfriend, says he was a bother, and he tried to feel her up, they use a coupon that hayato won in a raffle to go to an onsen overnight, claiming to all be siblings, they fool around-

-their third year, and ran and ren and hayato are all in the same class, with the 'cool' teacher who tries too hard so she lets them pick their own seats, the three of them sit in the back and pass notes like little kids-

-ran is fed up so she corners both ren and hayato and makes them all tell their future plans. they realize that they're all going their separate ways... ren is going to tokyo, ran is staying and getting a job, and hayato is going to law school (??) somewhere else. kissing-

-after graduation, they go to the beach, and just sit in the sand and watch the waves, ran and ren tease hayato and jerk him off -


	4. Free!  ~ Complex Arithmitic

so, it should be very obvious that my favorite Free! 'pairing' is free!some, makoto/haru/rin. i like and have explored alllll sorts of dynamics in that threesome. though i need makoto to always be a central part of it, i also like to think of different ways that it would work out, because really... it's canon, as far as i'm concerned, that it's the three of them. always. (when the three of them went to frolic in the surf in the sunset...!!!) this one was supposed to explore a different permutation... one in which haru was ace, and platonically involved with makoto/rin. basically, makoto and rin are planning to move in together, but haru moves in, too, and eventually they come to realize that they're more of a threesome than a duo just that haru's love is a different shape and feel.

sadly, i only got the first part done. it was an interesting idea, though, i think.  


* * *

  
Rin was drumming his fingers on the table when he saw Makoto come into the university cafeteria. He was with those two girls from his early education class who doted upon his every word. Rin frowned a bit. He couldn't blame them; Makoto was wearing that hat Rin made him buy last year when they just started dating, and his glasses, which Rin helped him pick out. He even had a scarf around his neck, though it was Ran and Ren who bought that for him. He looked damned _stylish_ was the point. So, no, Rin couldn't blame those girls for batting their eyelashes at him.

Wouldn't do them any good.

After they went through the line, Makoto broke away from them, indicating that someone was waiting for him. Rin _was_ waiting for him, but he didn't like that Makoto _knew_ that. He was just being irritable, so he tried to swallow it down. When Makoto came to sit opposite him, Rin quickly swiped one of Makoto's slices of pork. "So, did you talk to him?"

Makoto's smile wavered slightly, and Rin's heart dropped. "Er, well..." Makoto looked away.

Rin was _amazing_ because he did _not_ lose his temper. "Makoto, you're going to _have_ to tell him. You're not renewing your lease. _Right?_ Or... he needs a new roommate. Though, I can't really imagine anyone else living with that freak. So, he's going to need to look for a place, too!"

"No, Rin, I _did_ talk to him about it!" Makoto insisted. "We talked last night, just like _we_ planned."

Rin wasn't feeling any better because Makoto still looked like he did when they came across a kitty and he didn't have any treats. "And? Did he... not take it well?" _That_ was Rin's greatest fear. So far, _he_ hadn't interfered in their relationship, but if Makoto were forced to choose...

"Well, it... it went... _surprisingly_ well. He... was actually... rather happy for us," Makoto blushed a bit.

Sitting back, Rin absolutely did _not_ blush. He was feeling pretty happy for them, too. "So? He understands?"

"...There... there was a... _slight_ miscommunication..." Makoto wasn't looking at Rin at all as he said that, and he kept fidgeting.

Narrowing his eyes, Rin leaned forward. "What kind of _miscommunication_ can there be when you tell him that you and I are going to be living together?"

"Ah, um," Makoto bit his lip. "Well, _that_ part he understood perfectly. It's just that... ah... it _seems_ that..."

" _Seems?_ " Rin pressed.

Makoto sighed, and looked at Rin with the worst hangdog, lost puppy look. "Ok, it's just that... Haru thinks that... that _he's_ moving in with us, too. That... all _three_ of us are looking for a new place."

Rin just stared at Makoto, hoping that if he did so long enough, Makoto would explain how that was his attempt at humor. Unfortunately, the longer he stared at Makoto, the more he realized that not only was he _serious_ , but he was _considering it_. "Wait, Makoto..."

"I realize you may not want this, and... and... I can try to talk to him again, but after thinking about this some, it's not the _worst_ idea..." Makoto hurriedly explained.

"Oh, no," Rin dropped his forehead into his hand.

"Haru is a really good cook! And he's good at cleaning, too, and you like things just so, so there won't be any incompatibility there! And if it's the three of us looking for a place, we can afford a bigger place! Two bedrooms, of course, but we'll be able to afford a nicer space, maybe a nicer neighborhood! And Haru isn't intrusive, I mean, living with him now, half the time I don't even know if he's home or not! It'll still be us living together, just... just with, like, a _lodger_. That's all. Us living together... with a lodger, so we can get a better space," Makoto made it all sound so reasonable. So natural.

Moving in with your boyfriend and his childhood friend. What could be more natural? Rin gave Makoto a withering look. "A _lodger_. You want me to think of Haru as a _lodger?_ "

"Well," Makoto fidgeted. "Obviously, it'd be better than an actual, like, stranger person lodger, because he's our friend. Both of us, I mean, you know."

Rin rolled his eyes. _Yes_ , that was true, Haru was _special_ to him or something. But he wasn't _dating_ Haru. He wasn't _taking the next step_ with _Haru_.

"I really didn't want to put you in a bad spot or anything or make you unhappy, I really, really didn't. This... this is a big deal to me, too," Makoto started.

Rin gave Makoto a dirty look. " _Is_ it? Because we talked about this for _weeks_ and Haru was never a part of it."

"I _know_ ," Makoto assured him, reaching out tentatively. He just touched Rin's hand, and then they both looked around self-consciously. Rin _hated_ living like that, but. He just didn't want there to be _rumors_ about them. He was still a part of the National Swim team, and while that hardly made him a _celebrity_ , it could bring some negative attention to him and to Makoto. He was studying to be a teacher; a lot of schools would still be discriminatory. It sucked, but it was what it was. He didn't want to force Makoto to have limited choices.

On the other hand, he wanted some kind of contact, so he pushed his foot forward, between Makoto's feet. Makoto instantly moved his leg a bit, touching Rin's.

"I _swear_ to you, I was _trying_ to tell him that... that it was something _we'd_ decided to do. But. He's just..." Makoto floundered.

Rin sighed. He was going to lose this not-exactly-an-arguement-but-definitely-not-an-agreement. 

"And you know, his father sold his grandmother's house, so Haru really... doesn't have any kind of anchor in the world," Makoto hedged.

There it was. The _guilt_. Rin narrowed his eyes. "So, just tell me something. If you had to choose..." He shouldn't ask this. He knew he shouldn't. "If it had to be one of us, just one... tell me I'd at least have a chance."

"Rin!" Makoto looked stricken. He wasn't even aware of how his voice had gotten louder. "I'd pick _you!_ Absolutely! I'm..." He looked around carefully, and leaned in a bit. Rin leaned forward, too, wanting to hear it, hoping... " _You're_ the one I'm in love with. I _promise_ you."

Rin flushed a bit, and he pressed his leg against Makoto's. "Fine. But. This is _conditional_. Ok? If this doesn't work out, I wanna know that we'll _deal with it_ , and not just... bear with it. And you 'n' me are getting the bigger room. And we're putting a lock on the door."

Makoto just beamed, damn his cute and expressive face. "Of course! Absolutely! Anything you want, Rin!"

Rin ducked his head down. He had a bad feeling about this, but at least Makoto was happy, and... fuck him, that actual meant a lot to him.  


* * *

  



	5. Free! ~ the long haul

the idea behind this one was, if i remember correctly... there were lots of age swap/age change au's popular for a spell. and i had a thought of one for free!, where makoto was six years older than rin. but also... we know rinrin wears a burberry scarf, so even though they lost his dad, they seem to be doing just fine financially. maybe his dad had a bunch of insurance or something else, but anyway... what if they _didn't_ , what if, after his dad died, rin and his family were financially strapped, and so they moved into a small apartment in a small, old building? in this au, i also imagined that makoto... didn't grow up with haru, who is also a different age... so, in that case... makoto's life would have been a lot lonelier and harder. 

anyway, i actually wrote quite a bit for this, including a really detailed outline. maybe that was my mistake. i wrote out too much for the outline and then lost drive to write the story. i do that a lot... like... i'll make a list of what i need to do, and then, because i wrote the list, i feel like, i got that, i already did it. but i didn't. i just made the list.

sigh.

anyway! here's what i have....  


* * *

  
Rin kicked the stones as hard as he could, sending one sailing over the fence and into the road. He looked around carefully, checking to see if anyone had seen that. He sure didn't need any more trouble! He took a deep breath, wishing he could just scream.

Gou was upstairs in the apartment with a juice box, crackers, and her favorite cartoon. He had told her that he was just going to be playing in the parking lot, and to yell if she needed anything. She was his responsibility, so he had to be good, but sometimes that was just _so hard_. He shouldn't be coming straight home from school He shouldn't even be stuck in some small apartment in the city! He should be...

He wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, but he had to think about Gou. Therefore, there was only one thing he could do. 

He went to the back of the apartment complex, to the narrow band of tall grass and weeds. Back here, there were always cats, probably hunting mice or rats. Rin really wanted to catch a rat for a pet, since his mom said a cat was too big for their small apartment. He never saw a rat, though. Cats were awesome at hunting.

He rounded the corner of the building, and he saw something he never expected.

There was an angel in the corner, petting the cats.

Rin's jaw went slack. The angel was big with broad shoulders, but he had the nicest, nicest smile in the world. Two cats were rubbing against his knees as he crouched down to rub under the chin of a third cat. His messy brown hair was falling over his eyes. "Ooh, aren't you a sweetie? Yes, I think you are! Ah, are you feeling neglected?" the angel chuckled, petting a brown tabby who put his feet on the angel's knee. "So many cute cats, right here! Ah, this is so exciting!"

Rin edged closer, trying to get a better look. He thought that the angel seemed to have... green eyes? And a stripped t-shirt. And he had green crocs on, that was pretty funny. Rin thought angels had wings, but since they were on the ground, maybe Rin just couldn't see them. Rin edged closer, and accidentally kicked a can.

The cats jumped and hissed, and the angel looked up. "Ah! Are you the friend these guys have told me about?"

Rin's eyes widened. Angels could speak cat! And the cats thought of Rin as a friend! Rin grinned at the hissing cats. "Ah... yeah! M-my name is Matsuoka Rin!"

"It's nice to meet you, Matsuoka-kun," the angel beamed. "My name is Tachibana Makoto. I just moved to the apartment at the far end of the second floor."

Angels lived in apartments? "I live on the second floor, too! Right next to the stairs! I live there with my sister and my mother! My sister is a year younger than I am. She's super cute, she looks just like me," Rin proudly boasted, putting his hands on his hips.

The Tachibana-angel laughed, and ruffled Rin's hair. Rin blushed, ducking his chin down. "I bet she is!"

"Yeah," Rin smiled shyly. "My mom is super pretty, too. I think she's the prettiest lady in the world."

"I'm sure she is," Makoto laughed. "So, do you take care of your sister for her?"

"Yeah," Rin puffed his chest out. "My dad died, so I'm the man of the house."

"I'm sorry to hear about your dad. I think he must be very proud of how responsible you are, though," the angel said gently.

Angels had really nice voices. "Yeah, I'm the most responsible guy ever. Like, the swim coach really, really wanted me to join the team, but... you know, I have my sister..."

"Wow, that's such a huge sacrifice," the angel nodded seriously. He was looking right at Rin with those understanding green eyes, like he could see right into Rin's soul. Well, he was an angel, so maybe he could!

"It's not such a big deal... I guess... Gou said she wanted to join the photography club when she goes to middle school, so next year..." Rin shrugged. And then he smiled.

"I still think it's a pretty big sacrifice, and you're a pretty great big brother to make it," the angel winked at him.

Winked!

"Gou always says I'm the best big brother ever," Rin confided.

The angel laughed. "That's how you know you're doing it right! At least, that's how I feel when my little sibs say I'm the best."

Rin looked at the angel, confused. Angels has siblings?

"This is my first time living away from my family. I'm starting college," the angel sighed. "I'm really glad there are cute kids like you around. Maybe I'll feel less lonely for Ran and Ren. Those are my siblings, they're twins, just a few years younger than you." And then the Tachibana-angel ruffled Rin's hair again.

Maybe... he was an actual person. He wore crocs and could touch Rin and he had siblings. But, if he _was_ a real person... He was super cool!

"Yeah, it gets lonely when you first move here," Rin nodded sagely, or what he hoped would seem sagely to Tachibana-san. "But you get over it."

"So, you moved here, too?" Tachibana-san asked.

"We moved here... a little while back," Rin shrugged. He smiled shyly at Tachibana-san. He couldn't really say he ever truly got over being lonely. He still missed his old friends from before his dad died, but.

Maybe... he could be Tachibana-san's first new friend!  


* * *

  
Rin raced up the stairs, grabbing hold of the handrail at the top so he could quickly spin around the corner. He dashed to the end of the exterior hallway to get to the apartment at the end. He banged on the door rowdily, grinning widely.

Makoto opened the door after only a few bangs, laughing. "Rin, Rin, what have I told you about banging on my door?"

"I'msorryMakosanbutlooklook!" Rin held up his trophy triumphantly, his face too small for his grin. "I won! It was my first swim meet and I wasn't even on the team last year and it'd been so long since I last competed and I still won! I'm pretty awesome, huh?"

Makoto smiled at Rin affectionately, and Rin felt gooey inside. "That's really amazing, Rin! I'm so happy for you!"

"This trophy is because I won the most ribbons. I won for 50 m free, the 200 m free, the 100 m butterfly, the _400 m_ individual medley, _and_ I was the anchor for the team medley, and we won. The anchor swims free, and I'm actually best at butterfly, but they wanted me to be anchor so I was and we won." Rin was bouncing from foot to foot, and holding up his trophy.

"Wow, Rin! You're a superstar!" Makoto laughed.

"So, since I was so amazing, you're _probably_ thinking that I deserve some kind of... reward..." Rin shrugged nonchalantly, or what he imagined people in books did when the books said they shrugged their shoulders nonchalantly.

"Oh, a reward?" Makoto tapped his chin with his finger, looking amused. Makoto thought Rin was very, very cute. Rin could tell. "Well, I guess I _do_ have some fudgesicles in my freezer..."

"I love fudgesicles!" Rin happily declared.

"All right, all right, come in," Makoto stepped aside, shaking his head.

Rin beamed, and slipped past Makoto, shucking his shoes off before running into Makoto's room and plopping himself down on the tatami. He set his trophy down on Makoto's table, and looked around nervously. Makoto went to the kitchenette, and opened his freezer. Makoto's back was so broad and strong... and Rin could tell, because Makoto was just wearing a tank top and work out shorts. Makoto had long legs, too. Rin hoped he got to be as tall as Makoto someday.

Rin cleared his throat. "Your place is really messy. You want me to help clean up? I'm good at cleaning up. I clean our place almost every day. I mean, three of us live there... we have one more room than you, but..." he looked around. Makoto had to sleep in this room. It was a tiny place, but at least he was alone.

"That's all right," Makoto laughed, patting Rin on the head. He handed him a fudgesicle, and sat down next to him. "When I'm studying, I need all this stuff around me. But, I usually tidy up some... before bed."

"Sure," Rin smirked, slurping on his fudgesicle. 

"Brat," Makoto teased him, and whenever Makoto teased him, Rin felt like his insides were sloshing around. It was a funny feeling, but Rin kinda liked it.

"Can we play a game?" Rin asked Makoto eagerly. 

Makoto laughed, looking up at the ceiling like he just _knew_ Rin was going to cause him trouble. "Well... since you _did_ do _so well_ in your first meet after so long... all right. But just _one game_ , ok? And finish your fudgesicle first."

Rin started to take big bites of the chocolatey treat, even though it sort of hurt his teeth. And, he didn't even like chocolate so much, he preferred the fruit kind. But, Makoto liked chocolate so Rin was getting used to eating it. "I get to be player one! And Bowser!"

"Sure, sure," Makoto agreed, giving Rin a noogie.

Rin just grinned.  


* * *

  
Rin blinked blearily and smacked his lips together. The sound of his breathing seemed _insanely_ loud. There was also a small flying thing up near the ceiling, something that Rin knew was there, but he couldn't focus on.

It was so hot.

His mother had her arm up over her head, and her face looked sweaty. Gou was sleeping with her head on their mother's belly, her little mouth in an 'o' as her shoulders moved up and down gently. Rin smiled, and then sat up carefully, making sure not to disturb them.

He could only barely remember the house they'd lived in when his father was alive, but he knew that they had more than one bedroom, more than one other room, a kitchen big enough for the whole family... It didn't do any good to think that way, though. 

He got up and stretched out, and scratched his belly. He was going to get some water. Maybe that would cool him down enough to sleep.

He went out to the main room, making sure to hold the door in _just that way_ so it wouldn't make any noise when he moved it. He closed it equally carefully, and then headed to the kitchen. He turned on the water to cold, and then he got a glass. He thought about getting ice, but that would be noisy. He waited until the water made his finger feel numb, and then he filled the glass. He took it to the window by the front door, which was open a crack. It was hot outside, but the air was fresh and it was hotter inside, anyway.

Rin wanted to go swimming. Dive in, and surround his whole body with cool, beautiful water. He sat on the bench under the window, pushing his head over so his nose was pressed against the screen, and he tried to see the stars, imaging the water.

Someone was coming up the stairs.

"I appreciate you bringing me home, but I can make it to my apartment just fine."

Rin blinked quickly and sat up. That... was Mako-san!

There was a deep chuckle, and then a second voice. "Are you trying to get rid of me?"

"Well, _yes_ , I am," Mako-san answered him.

Rin leaned away from the window, his body behaving strangely. His heart was racing and his brain suddenly hurt with thoughts. Makoto and an older guy came up the stairs and rounded the corner. Rin was afraid he'd be seen, but then he realized that the lights were out and so the window was just _dark_.

He was spying on Makoto.

"That's not nice," the older man said, and he put his hand on the small of Makoto's back. "You've never let me come visit. I'm starting to think that you don't like me anymore."

"I just didn't think it was appropriate," Makoto replied, and he sounded tense, "this is an old building. The walls are thin."

"You don't think you can control yourself?" the man said, teasing. Was he making fun of Makoto?!

Rin tried to put his face against the screen to see what was going on, but all he could see was the other man's back. Who was that person?

"Takaki-sensei, it's late, and... I don't want to bother the neighbors. Let's just say goodbye here," Makoto said, and he sounded strange.

Rin scrambled to pull the window open a bit more so he could press his whole face against the screen and maybe see something, figure out what was going on over there... Did Mako-san need help?

"I don't really feel like saying good night yet, Makoto-kun. I'd like to see where you live. I'd like... to see... more..." the shitty old man said, and Rin couldn't really see anything, but he thought the old man had Makoto pressed against his door. "So, if you don't want to disturb your neighbors, maybe you should open the door."

"Takaki-sensei," Makoto murmured, and Rin could only just barely hear it, but the way Makoto said that...! Rin felt hotter than he'd felt all night!

Rin couldn't hear any more talking, but the shitty old man had Makoto against his door still and they were making _noises_ , and Rin didn't like it. He wanted to go out there, and maybe save Makoto, but. He was frozen in place. His heart was hammering, but his arms and legs were stone.

There was a soft groan, and then Makoto said, "Takaki-sensei, you're unfair." It sounded like Makoto was pouting, but that didn't feel right. Gou pouted when she wanted a bite of whatever Rin was eating. This was different.

The shitty old man chuckled, and he moved closer to Makoto, even though they were already really close. "Are you going to let me in? Makoto-kun?"

Makoto grunted, and then his door opened, and they both went inside.

Rin's head was spinning and hurting. Makoto's apartment was the smallest on the floor. Was that old man really going to sleep in Makoto's room? But it would be really cramped! Would Makoto have an extra futon? 

In trying to picture Makoto and some old man sleeping in his room, Rin understood, and his stomach lurched and he felt cold. Makoto and that old man had been kissing. They were going to kiss more, and do _that stuff_. 

Feeling dizzy and strange, Rin pushed the window back to where it had been, and he put his half-full glass in the sink, and he wandered back into the bedroom, no longer careful. He flopped down next to his mother, causing her to groan, and he thought about Makoto and some old man kissing. Makoto did _that stuff_ with other guys. Makoto was doing _that stuff_ right now with that shitty old man. Rin didn't know what the old man's face looked like, so he couldn't really picture it, but then suddenly, he had a vision of himself sitting in Makoto's room, and Makoto leaning in and kissing him, but Rin could only picture Makoto kissing his forehead, like Rin's mother did, because... because...

Makoto was Makoto, and... Rin was just...

A kid.

He dozed off fitfully, but as soon as his mother got up to get ready for work, Rin got up, too. She smiled at him apologetically, but he just scooted off to the kitchen to help fix her breakfast. His mother didn't like to eat a lot in the morning, so he just had to make her coffee, which just meant turning on the coffeemaker, because his mom always set that up the night before, and making her toast. When she came out, fully dressed, she smiled at him and ruffled his hair. 

"Did you have trouble sleeping, Rin?" she asked him kindly.

He didn't want to worry her, so he smiled cheerfully. "Naw, I was fine. I just woke up so I thought I'd help out."

"You're always helping out," she caressed his cheek, and Rin closed his eyes happily. "Thank you, son. Tonight, I'll bring home a watermelon, how does that sound? We can sit out on the steps and see how far we can spit the seeds." She wiggled her eyebrows at her.

"I'm gonna win!" Rin promised.

His mom laughed, touseled his hair, and kissed the top of his head. "Don't count your old lady out, kid. All right! Thanks for breakfast! Be good, look after your sister... If you're going to take Gou anywhere, make sure either Tachibana-kun or Butou-san knows where you're going, ok?"

"Of course, mom," Rin rolled his eyes, but he was smiling.

She sighed, and gave him a noogie, and then she grabbed her purse and keys and she waved goodbye to him. 

Rin stood in the kitchen, looking at the door to the apartment. Slowly, he moved over to the window, and sat down at the bench. Was that... shitty old man still at Makoto's? Rin... felt so strange. And...

So frustrated.

He was nodding off, thinking about getting up and going back to bed with Gou. He didn't know what time it was, but his mom had to get to her office early, because she had to make coffee and stuff like that for everyone else, so she was usually one of the first in the building to leave. Even if that old man was still there, he might not be leaving for a long time.

If Rin had a chance to sleep over at Makoto's, he wouldn't want to get up right away. Rin thought about sleeping against Makoto's body. Maybe even right on top of Makoto. Rin was half asleep and dreaming of things he was afraid to be dreaming of when he heard a door close down the row. His heart stopped, and he closed his eyes tightly, trying to be very still.

Two sets of footsteps were coming down the exterior hall. Rin couldn't tell how far they had to come, but they both sounded heavy and it took them a long time to pass Rin's window to get to the stairs. Rin was just about to open his eyes to look when he heard a voice.

"Are you still regretting meeting with me, Makoto-kun?"

"Now, now, sensei... that's not the sort of question that you really want me to answer."

"That's so cold!" but the old man was laughing.

Rin was awake.

Once he didn't hear them anymore, he scurried out the door, fixing the lock so it wouldn't close behind him. He went and sat down on the top step. He looked down on the small lot in front of their building. There weren't many cars there, because most people in the building were like his mom; they went everywhere on public transportation. Makoto walked the man over to a dark, large car that looked really out of place in that lot. The man tried to touch Makoto's arm, but Makoto took a step back.

Rin was glad to see that.

The man got in his car, and Makoto walked back to the building. Rin was nervous, but he stayed put. Makoto came up the stairs, and he started a bit when he realized Rin was there, but he kept coming up.

He looked frightened.

"Rin! It's awfully early, isn't it? You're still on break, aren't you?" he asked.

Rin propped his chin in his palm. "Yeah. I just woke up, 'sall."

"Oh," Makoto nodded. He sat down on the top step, too. There was enough room between them for Gou to sit down, too. 

Rin felt sad. "Was that guy your... boyfriend?" he asked quietly.

Makoto froze, and he looked straight ahead. "You... Did you... _hear_ something, or...?"

"I couldn't sleep last night so I sat by the window to drink some water, I _wasn't_ spying on you," Rin said, even though he'd totally been spying on him. He looked at Makoto nervously. Makoto's jaw was so rigid. Rin felt like he was doing something wrong. "I-it's no big deal, I mean. If he is. That's... up to you," Rin shrugged.

Makoto looked at him with wide eyes, and Makoto had such pretty eyes. That old guy probably liked Makoto's eyes, too. "He's..." Makoto rubbed his hands over his thighs. "N-no, he's not... he's not a _boyfriend_."

Rin furrowed his brow. "But... you two, you did..."

"Rin!" Makoto stopped him, his face turning red. He shook his head, smiling unhappily. "That's... I don't want your mom to get mad at me because we... talked about stuff like this, I know it's not..."

"My mom wouldn't get mad!" Rin sat up straight. Sure, he knew that people didn't like that stuff, but his mom wasn't like that! She was super nice, always! "She's not..." Rin tried to think of the right phrase. Oh, yeah. "She's not small-minded. People who don't get a single break in life can't afford to be mean to anyone," he said, because it was something his mom said. He put his elbows on his knees and his chin on his fists. "If he's not your boyfriend... why'd you do that stuff with him?"

Makoto watched Rin for a few moments, and Rin glared at the steps, thinking he shouldn't have said that. "Well. He's not my boyfriend because... he's someone else's husband."

Rin's eyes widened, and he kept his body rigid. Makoto wasn't the type to...

"You see," Makoto exhaled slowly, and stretched his legs out. "When I was very little... I had really bad asthma. I couldn't keep up with the other kids, so it was hard for me to make real friends. No one was willing to hang back and wait for me to catch my breath," he smiled like there was nothing funny at all in what he was saying, so he couldn't help smiling. "Eventually, I got control of it, and I started to swim to get exercise and build up strength, but... I wasn't like you. I just swam. After a few years, I gave it up. When I was in high school, I volunteered to be the class rep, because no one else wanted to do it, and I didn't really have any friends or anything else to do. 

"When you're growing up... and you're... like me, well, you might not know _why_ you're different from everyone else, but you know that you _are_ , and it can be... lonely. Or scary. Takaki-sensei was my homeroom teacher, so I ended up spending a lot of time with him as the rep. He was kind to me because he knew I didn't really have anyone else to talk to. I ended up... confiding in him a lot. During my third year," Makoto sighed, ducking his head down, "he and his wife were having serious problems. So serious, he was living in a business hotel. One weekend, he invited me to come over to... I forget, I think watch videos or something. And... things happened..." Makoto laughed, and rubbed his eyes. "It shouldn't have. He was an adult, and I was still in school, and he's still married... but I'm not good at turning people down. I... just want to make people happy," he laughed, and Rin could tell he was laughing at himself.

It bothered Rin to hear it.

"I thought coming to someplace... new for school would be good. I could meet all new people. But, it's still hard. I mean, making new friends, and... I'm still... _different_... Last week, Takaki-sensei contacted me to tell me he'd be in town for some conference. I rebuffed him a few times, but last night I met him for dinner... and..." Makoto shrugged. He looked at Rin, and he smiled wryly. He reached out and ruffled Rin's hair. "I really shouldn't be telling you this stuff. It's not up to you to solve my problems. I'm the older one! You should focused on... swimming, and having fun on break, and summer homework, and... video games, stuff like that." This time when Makoto smiled at Rin, it was a smile full of affection.

For Rin.

Rin scooted close to Makoto. "I know what it's like to not have any friends in school and stuff. It sucks! I don't think it's your fault that... _stuff_ happened. You were lonely! It was his fault, he was old! He should know better! But I think..." Rin looked up at Makoto from under his bangs. "I think he was just taking advantage of you and stuff. Because, you know. Old guys like that probably can't do stuff with... with guys like you much." Makoto was an angel. Old guys like that should never get to do stuff with angels!

"Ah... I think... you're right, Rin," Makoto agreed sadly. He smiled at Rin, and it made Rin feel tiny and weak. "You're smart. That makes me happy. I don't think you'll end up in messes like this."

Rin frowned, and glared at his feet. "But! You shouldn't put up with it! If some guy wants to be your boyfriend, he... he should be a nice guy! And he should do it right! You can't let guys stay the night if they're not doing it right anymore!"

Makoto bit his lip, probably to keep from laughing. Rin knew he was still young, and he hadn't said that at all right, but he was serious! "What does doing it right mean, then?"

"Well, he has to take you on a proper date!" Rin explained, throwing his hands up in the air. "He has to ask you out nicely, and not just... just ambush you! And he should take you to fun places, like... to a movie and then maybe an arcade! And you could go on a ferris wheel or something! And when the date's done, he should wait for you to invite him in, he shouldn't..." Rin bit his lip. He didn't want to reveal how much he'd been spying on Makoto the night before, but...!

Guys shouldn't force their way into Makoto's bed!

"Wow, that sounds really nice," Makoto smiled at Rin sweetly. "I've... never had any of those things."

"You should, though," Rin huffed, hunching his shoulders and looking away.

If he was older...! That's what he'd do... he'd ask Makoto out, and they'd go and do fun things, and they'd laugh together, and they'd talk about things, because Rin could talk to Makoto forever, and... He'd want to spend the night with Makoto, but he'd want to know that Makoto wanted to spend the night with him, too. Otherwise, it wouldn't have any meaning.

He was in love with Makoto.

It was devastating.

Makoto inhaled slowly, and he released his breath slowly. "You're right. From now on, I'm going to remember your rules. They're good rules. Someday, someone is going to be very happy to be asked out nicely by you, Rin."

Rin turned his face sharply, trying to hide his expression and his blush.

Makoto rubbed Rin's head playfully. "Thank you, Rin. For listening to me... and for being a good friend. I really appreciate it."

"J-Just be sure you follow the rules," Rin grumbled.

Makoto laughed, and stood up. "I will, I will! What are you doing today, Rin? Are you going to the pool?"

"Later, yeah, this afternoon," he looked up at Makoto. Gou didn't like swimming, but she didn't mind going to the pool because she loved to watch Rin swim, and she had a few friends there.

"Well, come by if you and your sister are bored, you can play games at my place," Makoto offered.

"When she wakes up," Rin promised, grinning.

He was in love with Makoto, but they could still be friends. And Rin wouldn't always just be a kid, so.  


* * *

  
[rin starts hanging out in makoto's apartment to study, complaining about always being around girls. he tells makoto about the Australian swimming program he was accepted in a few years ago, but they couldn't afford it.]  


* * *

  
[makoto's new boyfriend gets mad when he sees that makoto is hanging out with a teen.]  


* * *

  
[rin tries to confess his feelings to makoto before makoto graduates college, makoto gently tries to rebuff him. rin swears he'll be going to the Tokyo Olympics, and when he wins a medal, Makoto will have to go out with him.]  


* * *

  
[rin is depressed after missing out on qualifying for the Olympic swim team by just hundredths. Mikoshiba, who is an alternate, tries to console him.]  


* * *

  
[rin is at a family restaurant near his school when he sees someone who looks, from the corner of his eye, just like Makoto, but he's got his arm around two girls. he accidentally interrupts them, but apologizes instantly, realizing the guy isn't as broad-shouldered as Makoto. however, before he leaves, Makoto arrives, and introduces rin to his sibs and his brother's girlfriend. he then congratulates rin on his personal best during qualifications. they go off on their own to talk a bit, turns out makoto is 'dating' someone, but it's 'complicated.' he looks ashamed of himself. they end up trading numbers so they can keep in touch.]  


* * *

  
[rin's been trading messages with Makoto for a while now. Makoto is working in a day care center with preschoolers, and he really likes it. he tells rin a funny story about one of his boys who is often mistaken for a girl (nagisa) pinning down the serious, smart kid (rei) and kissing him. makoto tells rin he broke it off with his 'friend.' they make plans to get together to hang out, but at the last minute, Makoto cancels. after that, rin has a hard time getting in touch with him. they keep passing each other by.]  


* * *

  
[rin gets makoto's address from his sister, and plans to go see him. he's at the door, but it suddenly opens, and a toddler comes out. upon seeing rin, the toddler kicks him in the shin. makoto turns up, and he eventually explains to rin how he's become haru's guardian.]  


* * *

  
[rin starts to come by to try to help makoto out with his new charge, but haru refuses to talk to or look at rin and he gets fussy and clings to makoto. makoto, though, is clearly fraying at the edges, so rin just does what he can... he brings makoto packed bentos for lunch and offers to make dinner a few nights a week, as well as help out with chores. makoto feels terribly guilty because rin has to finish college and he's got his own life, but rin just insists that he wants to help out. makoto is extremely grateful, and coaxes haru to be more accepting of rin.]  


* * *

  
[makoto's mom comes in to look after haru for the day, giving makoto a day off. he and rin meet for a 'date.' he teases rin about the date plan that rin made when he was just a kid on the stairs. rin is embarrassed and nervous and makoto suddenly pulls rin into a hotel. they get a room, and rin is about bursting with nervousness... he never expected makoto to do this!!! but makoto explains that they really needed to talk and they needed privacy. they talk, and they kiss, and makoto is nervous because he can still remember rin being a cute and eager little kid, but he can't deny that rin is hot and makoto is fallen for him... he puts rin's hand on his chest to show him how makoto's heart is going ten million miles a minute. they end up making love, and makoto confesses that it's not his first time in a business hotel, or a love hotel, or a bunch of other places. he's always made the wrong choice when it came to partners, but somehow he's here now with the right guy, and he's terrified that he'll screw it up and he'll hurt rin, and rin is the last person he wants to hurt. rin begs him to just NOT hurt him, then. just love me, rin says, and i won't be hurt. makoto smiles, and says he has no choice. they go back and makoto's mom asks him if he had a good day, and he says he does, and she gives him a knowing look.]  


* * *

  
[haru's grandmother dies. makoto puts together a little shrine to her. rin shows haru how to pray, and tells haru about his father who died when rin was young, so he knows all about this. haru wants to know if it was the ocean that killed rin's dad. he wants to know if rin is afraid of the ocean. rin sorta blunders his way through the conversation, but he eventually tells haru that he loves swimming too much to hate the ocean, anyway, and haru's eyes widen, and haru obviously changes his mind about rin because rin likes to swim.]  


* * *

  
[rin graduates, and he's landed a job... at a private school near makoto's day care. makoto broaches the topic of rin moving in with them to haru, and haru looks suspiciously at rin, but he says it's all right, as long as rin doesn't touch haru's stuff.]  


* * *

  
[makoto and rin are getting married in hawaii. rin has already been officially adopted by makoto, so now makoto, haru, and rin are a family. gou teases rin that he once promised her that he wasn't going to marry any girl but her, and she always knew he was playing her with that promise. she kisses his cheek and wishes him well, and he hugs her. but then she shakes her head. no matter what, rin is able to make the things that he wants happen. she feels very inspired by that. their mom comes in to check on them, and she comments that rin's dad would be very proud of him. rin is astonished, but his mother admonishes him. rin's dad was always the type to do things like he pleased, so of course he'd be very happy that his son was able to do the same. they have a family hug, and then it's time for rin to go out for their ceremony.]  


* * *

  



	6. K  ~ wake

ohboy. this is another one i definitely, definitely wanted to write, but... it was tricky. see... i absolutely. and there are no words to express just... how MUCH. i absolutely HATED the end of K Return of Kings. i just. i'm not even going to go there, but i HATED it. 

so, i wanted to fix it.

first off, OF COURSE, Nagare-chan and Iwa-san weren't dead. of course not, that would be horrible, no, they lived. of course. that was the beginning of the story, which wasn't so much a 'story' as a series that would have been several novels long if i had done it... that very first part, i have here. but, i figured that nagare and iwa-san were badly hurt, and they needed time to get out and all... in that time, i pictured Yukari taking a demoralized and miserable Sukuna and Kotosaka out to Ichigen-sama's house in the country. he just... doesn't know where else to go. what else to do. Sukuna nags him, but he assures Sukuna that Nagare-chan will know to look for them there. it'll be safe, away from the Blues and anyone else harboring a grudge. it'll be fine.

but. Yukari doesn't fully believe that Nagare-chan will find them. he doesn't fully believe they CAN. he's... afraid.

they spend some time there, getting settled, and Yukari has to try to keep the other two from just... being listless and hopeless... all while trying to deal with his own grief.... 

then, though. a miracle. Nagare and Iwa-san DO show up. Sukuna and Kotosaka are overjoyed. Yukari is... speechless. 

eventually, there would have been Yukari/Nagare, duh. eventually, they would all move back to Tokyo. eventually, Yukari would meet Kuro while shopping for groceries, they both reached for the last item that they need for a certain dish. Kuro feels guilty, thinking Yukari's king was killed... eventually, Kuro and Yukari would come to an uncertain peace between them (with Kuro even going to Yukari for relationship advice at some point, which THRILLS Yukari NO END). eventually, Anna and Sukuna become friends, too. (i think that's canon, actually???? a lot of the official post-series stuff holds no interest to me at all, sorry). eventually, i think, Jungle would become a game dev or maybe internet security company, something like that. 

anyway, it would have been better than what we were given, but alas. never happened. sigh.

here's the first part, anyway. explaining nagare and iwa-san's survival...  


* * *

  
Iwa-san watched the silvers disappear behind a cloud of dust, and he sighed with relief. This was the end, right? It had to be, since they were next to the huge remains of what had been the Slate.

He looked down at the young man in his arms, the young man he'd found the _last_ time a Sword of Damocles fell from the sky, in surroundings much the same as the ones in which they currently found themselves. Rubble, destruction, failure... It would almost be funny, except...

"Oy," Iwa-san shook Nagare. "C'mon, open your eyes. You're scaring me."

Slowly, Nagare's eyes fluttered open. Even that, though, gave Iwa-san more to worry about. Normally, Nagare snapped awake like some sort of robot. "Iwa-san," Nagare said weakly. "I'm sorry."

"What sort of greeting is that?" Iwa-san chuckled wryly. "That's not like you at all! Just tell me you made yourself a heart. The Slate is already gone, the power is draining fast..."

"Yes," Nagare blinked slowly, sighing. "I was in lightening form when the Silver King's sword started to fall. I did not anticipate that the Silver King would be so reckless. That was my error. I'm sorry, Iwa-san. Just before it landed, I transformed back. I made sure to build a heart. However, due to the conservation of matter, I believe I have only half a liver now."

Iwa-san processed that. "But that's fine!" he grinned, finally able to _breathe_. "Livers grow back!"

"That is not something to take too lightly, Iwa-san," Nagare cautioned him, probably thinking of something else entirely. "I also have lost some muscle mass. I'm sorry, Iwa-san. I do not think I can move. You may have been premature with the destruction of the base."

"Nonsense!" Iwa-san laughed confidently. "We just need to get to the secret bunker, right? And to think I was critical when you made that bunker! But you were right, as always, it's something no one would ever think about. A bunker inside a giant underground base!"

"Contingencies for the contingencies," Nagare replied quietly. "Unfortunately, I had no contingency for the lunacy of the First King. ...I was wrong to involve Weismann. I'm sorry, Iwa-san."

"What's done is done," Iwa-san hefted Nagare up as best he could, but he only got one foot under him. "I'm gonna have to carry you, that's all."

"Iwa-san, what about Kotosaka? Yukari? Sukuna?"

"Well, Yukari'll take care of the kid, you can count on that. I sent Kotosaka to find 'em. Figured... well, he'd be better able to..." Iwa-san took a breath, and wrapped his arms around Nagare, getting ready to lift him. "Sorry if this is a bit undignified."

"Iwa-san, you haven't carried me in a dignified fashion since I was fourteen," Nagare replied calmly.

"Well, you got taller!" Iwa-san laughed. He managed to get to his feet with Nagare over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Iwa-san. You are injured."

"Yeah..." Iwa-san started to shuffle to their living room stage. He just had to get to the entrance to the secret bunker...

"Iwa-san."

"Don't fuss," Iwa-san tried to laugh. "I'm fine. I was able to heal enough so it's not fatal. That brat... I guess I have to give him some due." Even though he didn't want to.

"The Blue King, Munakata Reisi," Nagare replied. "Iwa-san. I'm sorry."

"Stop that," Iwa-san shook his head. "You're giving me a complex!"

"Iwa-san..." Nagare trailed off.

Iwa-san patted Nagare on the back. Well, the rear. "Everything's going to be just fine!" As long as Nagare had a heart. "Didn't I tell you, as soon as you were fully connected to the Slate? Huh? Make yourself a heart, Nagare, I said. Didn't I?"

"Yes, Iwa-san," Nagare replied, exactly like when he was thirteen and stayed up all night playing video games. 

"But you had _things_ to do, and you were feeling so strong," Iwa-san groused.

"I am feeling very contrite, Iwa-san," Nagare said un-contritely.

"Maybe next time, you'll listen to the man who has been like a father to you all these years when he tells you to make yourself a heart," Iwa-san grumbled.

"I do not believe I will have the ability to do that, so hopefully the heart I made will suffice. I am sorry, Iwa-san," Nagare said calmly.

"You only need to apologize if there's no beer in the bunker," Iwa-san soothed Nagare.

"...I do not mean to be difficult, but my life is in your hands, Iwa-san," Nagare fretted.

"Don't worry, don't worry!" Iwa-san laughed, gaining strength from his amusement. They were nearly there, now. "I've got you, Nagare. ...And of _course_ the bunker has beer..." 

Another explosion caused Iwa-san to stumble, and cut off whatever Nagare might have said next. 

"I'd better hurry..." Iwa-san moved with more determination.

"I'm sorry, Iwa-san..." Nagare softly added.

"I know," Iwa-san squeezed Nagare, reassuring. They were almost there. Just a few more steps, and they'd be safe...  


* * *

  



	7. Natsume Yuujinchou  ~ plan of natusme/yokai then natsume/tanuma idea

i always intended to write this, because this idea was SO CLEAR in my head. i actually did end up alluded to it in another story, [Golden Week](https://archiveofourown.org/works/779584). referencing it was better than letting it go entirely, i thought...

anyway, the idea was... Natsume meets an ayakashi he becomes... ENAMORED with. sensei tries to warn him that it's dangerous, but the ayakashi keeps clinging to Natsume and cajoling him to help and such. the ayakashi stays with Natsume all the time, so... sensei decides to go and stay with Taki for a while. i intended to allude to the idea that Natsume's grandmother also had a 'relationship' with an ayakashi. 

Natsume becomes more and more obsessed with the ayakashi, snubbing his friends to spend all his time with the ayakashi... but... he starts to look paler and paler, and seemingly getting weaker. Tanuma is both worried... and jealous. Natsume is blowing him off, and he can SORT OF tell who Natsume is with, but he can only see a blurry shadow, really, but... he grows increasingly concerned that this ayakashi is doing something bad to Natsume, so... he decides to contact Natori, which... is not easy, obviously. since Natori is famous, it takes him a while to get a hold of him, but he leaves a message that there's something wrong with Natsume and eventually Natori shows up at their school. Natori doesn't really need to be told anything. as soon as he sees Natsume, he knows what's up. Natori and Tanuma work together to trick Natsume and his ayakashi 'boyfriend' to come to a certain location, and then Tanuma holds onto Natsume as Natori exorcises the ayakashi. Natori's helpers also hold Natsume back and prevent the ayakashi from contacting Natsume and Natsume from trying to interfere with the exorcism. Once the ayakashi is exorcised, Natsume passes out, like his strings were cut. 

Tanuma and Natori take care of him, but Tanuma is afraid of what will happen, will Natsume be angry with them... Natsume wakes up and he seems groggy, like he's not totally aware of what has happened and where they are. he seems like himself, though... Natori takes Natsume home, and Tanuma goes home himself, to worry.

the next day, though, Natsume and Tanuma talk during lunch. Natsume admits that he knew something was wrong, but... by the time he did, he was sort of under the ayakashi's thrall. Natori had lectured him about getting too close to an ayakashi, letting one feed off his energy *coughs*. he's grateful Tanuma contacted Natori. however.

now that Natsume has had a good nights sleep, and eaten breakfast and all, and Touko-san has fussed over him, he feels like he's thinking a lot clearer. 

and. something is bothering Natsume. every time the ayakashi would refer to Tanuma, and Tanuma was the one the ayakashi least liked Natsume to be around, the ayakashi always called Tanuma 'that cursed child.' Natsume would ask about that but the ayakashi never wanted to talk about Tanuma. however, now Natsume is worried. IS Tanuma cursed? Tanuma's father DID say he was sickly a lot as a child... 

anyway, Natsume won't let it go, so they start investigating. Natsume brings Tanuma to the Dog's Circle, and Hinoe confirms that yes, Tanuma is cursed. it's a nasty curse, but it probably wasn't put on Tanuma directly, otherwise he'd be dead already. still, the curse is attached to him... it can't be taken off. the yokai who cursed him has to lift it. they do some digging, and by gently questioning Tanuma's dad, they figure out that Tanuma's mother was cursed. by backtracking, they figure out where Tanuma's mother was when she was cursed. they go there (it's the town Tanuma was born - but his mother died shortly after he was born, and his father moved when Tanuma was young, so Tanuma didn't remember being there). they talk to both the priests in the shrine where Tanuma's dad used to work, and also the yokai in the area. from a weaker yokai, Natsume learns that Tanuma's dad performed a blessing that caused a lot of trouble for the yokai in the area, and as a result, there was a yokai who had a beloved who was a river, but the river was polluted, so they were very weak. after the blessing, they didn't have the strength to remain in this world. angry and vengeful, the yokai cursed Tanuma's mother when she was pregnant. the curse caused her to die, and it caused Tanuma to be sickly, etc. they want to find the yokai, but they're told that an exorcist came and trapped the yokai in a bottle.

it doesn't take much to realize that the exorcist worked for the Matoba clan. so, Natsume takes Tanuma there, and he tries to ask about the yokai. Natsume wants to just contact Nanase, but he ends up talking to Matoba. Matoba mostly ignores Tanuma, but tells Natsume that they do in fact still have that yokai. it was vengeful, so they took it, hoping it would be useful, but alas... it's been useless so far. actually, they're lucky they haven't already obliterated the yokai. Matoba COULD order the yokai to release Tanuma from the curse... but... what's in it for him? he wants Natsume to join his clan.

Tanuma doesn't like Matoba at all, duh, and he tries to tell Natsume they should just leave, but Natsume won't abandon Tanuma, so he negotiates. he won't JOIN the Matoba clan, but he will work with them on call, as needed. this satisfies Matoba, and so they find the yokai trapped in a bottle, and Matoba uses his power to force the yokai to release the curse on Tanuma. during which, though, Tanuma can't actually see the yokai, but he can tell from the way that Matoba is acting that Matoba is a cruel person, and nothing at all like Natsume.

feeling terrible that Natsume now has to work with this person, when Natsume didn't even really want to be an exorcist, on their way home Tanuma apologizes, feeling bitter. however, Natsume stops him and takes a hold of his arms. he looks at Tanuma fiercely, and assures Tanuma that he would have done ANYTHING to help Tanuma. NOTHING was worth Tanuma's life to Natsume.

of course, then they both get embarrassed, and Natsume let's go... he stutteringly assures Tanuma that while he never really thought to become an exorcist, well, he DOES have this 'gift' and he's gotten involved with yokai so many times... it's almost like it was inevitable. and he tells Tanuma a bit about the book of friends, and how he has that obligation, too. this might be a good thing.

and most of all, Tanuma is going to be ok. that's what matters most of all.

and then the usual embarrassed almost getting close almost touching type stuff, etc, etc, the end.


	8. Natsume Yuujinchou/Hikaru no Go crossover  ~ ghosthunting

i know i'm not the only person to think that these two series could easy take place in the same universe. they both have a supernatural element, after all. from the note, it seems i started this for a blind go summer round, a quick round. i'm guessing i just didn't have time to finish this and the one i did finish, but it also seems that i just sort of stopped and never picked this up again. anyway. here's what i had, unfortunately i don't remember at all what more i intended to do with this.

inspired by [The Mysterious Story Of Lamp Hall](http://laute.tumblr.com/post/52258713660), a story from the Natsume novel.

* * *

  
He stumbled trying to keep up, earning him a sharp tug on his arm. His shoulder hurt from how she was holding his hand, so high above his head. He kept bumping into people. He'd never seen so many people before in his life. They'd taken a train that left home very, very early, and then walked from there. They didn't have lunch.

"Keep up!"

He tried to reply, but he had to pump his legs as fast as he could just to hold onto her hand. It had not yet been a year since his dad had died. He looked up at this woman, who he called Aunt, but he didn't really know. Maybe it was her husband he was related to? He was always at work, though. Takashi had only met him a few times. She was younger than his dad was, and she tried to smile at him, sometimes, but he heard her on the phone, complaining. 

They turned down a street and she came up to the door of a shop. She looked up at the shop, and took a deep breath. Then, she looked down at Takashi.

She sighed.

"You have to wait here." 

He looked around, his eyes widening. _Here_... was a fairly busy street with lots of people, and Takashi wasn't sure where they were, and he'd never been left alone on a street before in his life!

"I'm not going to be very long," she testily responded to his nascent panic. "Just... Just be a _good boy_ , Takashi. You can be a good boy, right?" she didn't sound too sure. Takashi thought he was a good boy. His father never said he was bad, not that he remembered. But... remembering was painful... "That's right, you _can_ be a good boy. Just... stay right here. Don't wander off. Don't go anywhere. When I get out, I'll buy you something to eat."

Takashi looked up at her hopefully. He _was_ hungry. She patted him on the head, though she didn't really seem to want to, and then she went inside. Takashi looked up, wondering what sort of place this was. She'd gotten him out of bed right as soon as the sun was up, and rushed him out of the house. They'd been on the train for a very long time, and he didn't have anything to do and she hardly ever looked at him. This place had to be someplace special... important... 

Takashi's stomach rumbled. He looked around, hoping that she meant it, and that she wouldn't be long. He put his hands behind his back and leaned against the building, trying to take up as little space as possible so he wouldn't bother the people around him. One good thing about being in this busy, busy place... he hadn't seen any of _them_. There were probably too many people here for _them_. He saw _them_ at home... and _they_ were scary. His Aunt didn't see _them_ , though, and scolded him for making up stories to get attention. Then, she would get on the phone, and complain.

It seemed like an awful lot of time was passing. Takashi looked up at the sky. He couldn't see the sun, though.

After a bit, the street got a bit less crowded. A woman stopped and asked him what he was doing, and he stared at his shoes and told her that his Aunt would be right back. She muttered to her companion _What sort of woman leaves her child on the street?_ and Takashi felt very scared, because it wasn't Aunt's fault and he wasn't really hers, so it was bad that people said bad things about her because of him.

Feeling nervous, and hoping that his Aunt would come out soon, Takashi tried even more to take up no space at all. If he wasn't any bother to anyone, than no one would have any reason to say bad things about his Aunt...

A boy being very loud and taking up a lot of space passed by him, followed by...

Takashi looked up, but it was for real. The boy was wearing a school uniform with a collar, but he had his bangs bleached! He thought probably his dad would think that was funny, but his Aunt would think he was the wrong kind of boy. Behind him, though, was a guy... but he was wearing weird clothes! He had super long hair, and a tall, tall hat, and he was wearing really old-looking clothes, with huge sleeves and puffy pants and little shoes. Takashi had never seen a person who wasn't on tv or in a book dressed like that! Unconsciously, he followed the pair, mesmerized.

"So annoying! Why do I hafta do errands like this? I got stuff to do!" the boy complained.

"This hasn't been so far out of our way..." the guy behind him fretted.

"What's _mom_ doing today, anyway, that she can't pick up her own stuff from the store?" he grumbled.

"Hikaru, your mother does a lot for you! You shouldn't be so ungrateful!" the guy sighed.

"I get it, I get it, sheesh, Sai, it's like you were never a kid or something," the kid sighed, yawning. He stopped in front of a shop, and looked in the window. "Gah, look at this place! It's an old people place!"

"Hikaru..." the guy chastised gently.

"Wait out here, Sai. If I gotta do this, I don't wanna be distracted by you waving your arms around and stuff."

"Hikaru, that's mean!" Sai huffed. "I don't wave my arms around!"

"Sometimes, you do," Hikaru shrugged. "Like when you want me to play go and stuff."

"That's hardly the same thing at all!"

"Just wait here," Hikaru sighed.

Takashi edged closer and closer. Hikaru seemed... awfully bratty to him. He was never that loud or that rude, and his Aunt thought he was very naughty a lot. He was very interested in _Sai_ , though. Was he... going to a costume party or something? Now that Takashi was closer, and he could see his face better...

Sai was very, very pretty... and younger than Takashi had first thought!

Still, Takashi was not supposed to bother anyone. He didn't want to draw attention to himself. Sai was looking inside the store, his heavily sleeved hands covering part of his face. That was really cute, like Sai was a kitty or something! Takashi smiled a bit, and edged even closer.

"Mm, Hikaru, remember to say thank you!" Sai fussed.

Takashi couldn't help it. He giggled. Sai was acting like he was that Hikaru's mother! It was pretty cute, and it felt familiar in a way that Takashi didn't want to examine too closely.

Sai suddenly stiffened, and looked right at Takashi. Takashi felt embarrassed... he knew he shouldn't laugh at people... he didn't think Sai would even notice him! Blushing, he tipped his chin down, and mumbled, "Sorry..."

"You... you can see me?" Sai squawked. 

Takashi's eyes widened. His body went stiff, and cold. He looked at Sai, terrified. He wanted to run away... 

"Sai, c'mon, let's go, we gotta stop by the games shop and be home in time for dinner!" Hikaru came out of the shop and started to walk off without even looking at that _Sai_ , who trailed after him, though he kept looking at Takashi...

Takashi thought his heart was going to pound its way right out of his chest! Now that he was watching... the way _Sai_ moved through a crowd... 

That wasn't a human!

Takashi shut his eyes tightly, holding his arms over his stomach. He was afraid of the non-human things. He didn't understand them. They were scary! And his Aunt didn't see them. If she were here now, would she see _Sai?_ Would she believe him about the tall hat and the weird clothes? Takashi was afraid.

"Oh, _there_ you are!"

Takashi looked up, his whole body snapping to attention.

"I told you _not_ to move at _all_ , didn't I? I came out, I had no idea where you were!"

Takashi opened his mouth. He... he had to apologize! He'd made his Aunt worry and come looking for him...! He had to apologize, but he was still scared and...!

"Oh, well, c'mon, let's go. We have to get back to the train as quickly as possible. Ah, and I'll buy you some ice cream or something on the way. It's a sunny day, right, so ice cream would be good?" She smiled at him. 

Actually smiled.

Wherever she'd been... maybe it was a nice place...

Takashi took his Aunt's hand, and put that scary thing out of his mind.  


* * *

  
The little car pulled up in front of the house. The driver checked the address one last time, and leaned back.

"Well, we're here."

"Are you sure?" came the slightly snide, slightly bored voice from the backseat.

Tanuma just took a deep breath and remembered some of that stuff his father used to say about patience. Problem was, he couldn't remember anything off the top of his head. Not in this situation... " _Yes_ , actually, I'm sure. Do you have some reason to doubt me?"

Before Natori could say anything, Natsume stretched out a bit. "All right... Sensei, do you sense anything?"

The fat cat jumped from the backseat into Natsume's lap. "I smell something good! I think it's pork! Let's go, let's go! Natsume! Hurry, let's go!" The cat wriggled and squirmed, trying to open the car door and leap out.

Natsume playfully punched Sensei on the head. "Remember, you're a _cat_. This is a _job_. These are _normal_ people!"

"Normal people give cats pork!" Sensei stuck his tongue out.

Shaking his head, Tanuma got out of the car. "All right, we're expected, so... let's try not to make too much of a fuss, mm?" Sensei just huffed at him and galloped toward the door.

"Exactly why is the _priest_ joining us?" Natori asked Natsume.

"I was actually wondering what the _actor_ was doing here. Won't that cause too much trouble?" Tanuma replied.

"Now, now," Natsume sighed, smiling genially. He rang the bell, and picked up Sensei.

The door opened surprisingly quickly. "Are you guys the ghost hunters?" asked a man a bit older than Natsume and Tanuma asked, looking them over suspiciously.

"Shindou!" a voice from inside shouted, and then _Shindou_ was pulled back a bit. Another man, looking about the same age as Shindou, was shaking his head. "Just let our guests in first!"

"But..." Shindou whined.

"Excuse us," Natsume smiled. "Is it all right if I bring my cat with?"

"Eh?" Shindou tilted his head to the side. "That's a cat? Not like a tanuki or something?"

Sensei started to hiss and wriggle, so Natsume did his best to maintain a hold on him.

"Idiot," the other man muttered under his breath. "It's... it's fine, please, come in, come in." He pushed Shindou back so they could all enter. The three of them slipped by, then, toeing off their shoes quickly. It was a fairly normal, simple house, but it had the feeling of having been lived in for quite a long time. They were led through the main entry hall out to a salon with sliding doors to the yard. In the center of the salon was a goban, with pieces already laid out.

Natsume shared a look with Natori, and then he looked at Sensei, but the fat pig cat seemed only interested in the smells from the kitchen. The goban before them seemed perfectly normal, and even Natsume didn't feel anything. It didn't seem like the board he had helped Natori seal away dozens of yokai in years ago.

"So, what seems to be the problem?" Natori asked the two young men smoothly. 

They looked at each other, and then Shindou sighed. "Eh... excuse me, I'm Shindou Hikaru, and this is Touya Akira."

"The go players?" Tanuma asked, sounding impressed.

Shindou sort of half-shrugged, but he seemed used to it. "Yeah, that's right."

Natsume bowed to them a bit, maintaining his hold of Sensei. "I'm Natsume Takashi. The Matoba clan sent me to investigate this matter for you. These are... friends of mine. Tanuma Kaname, and Natori Shuichi." He considered not introducing Natori properly, but he guessed, correctly, it seemed, that two guys a little bit older than him who played go wouldn't be interested in an actor like Natori. 

"Can we get you anything?" Touya asked, nervous.

Natsume just smiled brightly. "You're most kind. But, why don't you tell us why you called for help?"

Touya sighed, and Shindou edged a bit closer. "Well... it's somewhat... hard to explain..."

"Don't worry," Natsume assured him. "We've all heard these kind of stories many, many times."

Shindou seemed to be judging him for a moment, and then he pointed to the goban. "This... can you see it? Bloodstains?"

The three looked carefully at the goban. Natsume peered over every square, but. He looked at Tanuma, and then Natori, and then he looked back at their hosts. "I'm sorry, bloodstains...?"

Shindou knelt down next to the goban, looking desperate. "Well, they're gone now! They used to be here! Right here, and here..." he pointed. "Can't you feel anything? Any kind of... spiritual presence, or...?"

"Spirits?" Natori repeated, chuckling a tiny bit. He was clearly holding himself back, remembering to be polite. "Maybe if you explained what sort of things have been happening around this goban...?"

Shindou sagged back, the verve leaving him. "It's not like that! It's futile, after all..."

"Shindou," Touya shook his head. "They've come _all this way_. Why don't you try to explain it _properly?_ "

Shindou groaned, and then took a deep breath, and looked sadly at the goban. "This... this goban was my grandfather's. He... just passed..."

"Oh," Natsume shifted nervously. Sensei tried to take that chance to squirm away and get to the kitchen, so Natsume dug his fingers into Sensei's belly, causing him to squeak. "I, er..."

Tanuma put his hands together and lowered his head. "We are sorry for your loss."

"Yeah," Shindou rubbed the back of his neck and looked away. He took a moment, and then he began again. "For most of the time, he kept this goban in his storage shed. He said it had a history of being haunted. When I was a kid... I found that out for myself. I saw bloodstains, right here..." He pointed on the goban. "And I was... for a long time, I was possessed by a ghost."

Natori coughed and tried to catch Natsume's eye, but Natsume refused to look at him.

"He was a ghost from the Heian era, a go player. Well, the best go player... ever..." Shindou sighed, and Touya reached out and squeezed his shoulder.

Natsume and Tanuma shared a look while Natori cleared his throat, again to no avail. Sensei wriggled enough to at least scratch Natori's knee out of boredom.

"His name was Sai, and he was with me for... for a very long time, he taught me everything about go," Shindou's voice got brittle and thin. Touya squeezed his shoulder again. "He disappeared one children's day... just... disappeared... but... but... I had dreams about him... well, once." Shindou sighed heavily. "A-anyway, with my grandfather's... death... I just keep thinking about it... and then, my grandmother moved in with my dad and... and anyway, we've been clearing out the house, and I found the goban, and... I just keep thinking... I mean... There's no... no chance Sai is still..." Shindou pointed at the goban futilely. 

"Sai," Natsume repeated thoughtfully. Sensei wriggled more, almost breaking free, but Tanuma pushed him down.

"Yes?" Shindou looked at Natsume expectantly. 

"Ahh, I'm sorry, that just... seemed familiar, somehow..." Natsume smiled brightly, trying to smooth it over.

Shindou sighed, frustrated. "Look... I mean, there's no real... no real _exorcism_ needed here or anything. It's been years since I saw him. But I just thought... if you were _experts_ and all, you'd be able to find some _trace_ , or something. I just. Since my grandfather died..."

"We're not really experts in..." Natori began.

"You've never seen anything else... that no one else seemed to see? Any other... spirits?" Tanuma asked quietly. 

Shindou sighed, and leaned back on his hands. "No, no. I never have."

"And the last time you saw him... it was in a dream?" Tanuma continued. Natsume watched him. Even sensei seemed to be interested in where Tanuma was going with this.

Shindou nodded. "...Yes. Even that... was a long time ago."

Tanuma smiled kindly. "Was it... a good dream?"

Shindou stared at the goban silently. Slowly, he smiled. "...Yes, it was. It was short... but I... I remember feeling... at peace..."

Tanuma nodded, and he folded his hands in his lap. He looked at Natsume sheepishly. "This seems... more like it's in my realm than in yours," he said to Natsume. He turned to Shindou and Touya. "I think this... Sai... he must have passed on. ...You already knew that, though, right?"

Shindou looked at Tanuma, his eyes filled with emotion. "Well. Yes, I did, but."

"You're probably thinking about this more... because of your grandfather than Sai. However. If you would give you some peace of mind, we can perform a cleansing mantra together," Tanuma suggested.

"If you cleanse the goban, will that mean that Sai will be purged?" Shindou asked, looking scared.

"No," Tanuma assured confidently. "It will... perhaps help you to be more at peace... with the parting." He didn't say whether it was for Sai or for Shindou's grandfather, but it didn't seem to matter to Shindou, so no one else needed clarification.

"Ok," Shindou nodded. "Let's try it."

"Let me just... get a few things from the car... oh, I should say... I'm not really a priest or anything. But, I know enough to do this properly, I promise." Tanuma bowed slightly to Shindou.

"Oh, that's fine, I don't really like priests much, anyway," Shindou replied breezily.

"Shindou!" Touya chastised.

"What! That crook at granddad's funeral charged an arm and a leg!" Shindou complain.

Touya groaned and covered his face in his hands.

Tanuma winked at Natsume, and slipped out.


	9. Hikaru no Go  ~ the Dragon and the Butterfly series

this one kind of hurts. see, i really really love ashiwara/saeki, and i, over time, had devoted a lot of headspace time to thinking about their relationship and how it would work and all. and i really, really planned on writing it all out... but i only wrote a few things. i actually referenced my idea once in another fic, i can't remember which, when Touya Kouyo is talking to a politician and mentions the politician's son. 

so.

i headcanon(ed) that Ashiwara is the illegitimate son of a member of the Diet, someone influential. his mother raised him herself. she worked as a translator for the government, which is how she met Ashiwara's father. it was a bit of a scandal, and she went to work for a publishing house after getting pregnant, but the politician would come and visit them throughout Ashiwara's life, sometimes spending the night or the weekend. he knew his father had another life and family, and he was always going to be an afterthought... but his mother loved him, his father actually loved him, when he was around, and he was happy growing up. Ashiwara was able to join the Touya group when he was an insei because his father knew Touya Kouyo, and asked him to look after his son. 

i also headcanon(ed) that Saeki was from a yakuza family. actually, his grandfather was a boss. his mother, his grandfather's daughter, married an enforcer who was her father's right hand. Saeki and his older sister grew up in comfort, but they were aware of the world in which their family inhabited. both their mother and father could be ruthless, and it was understood that his father would inherit from their grandfather. but, a war breaks out between some groups, and Saeki's parents are brutally murdered. Saeki and his sister are taken to their grandfather's compound for safety, but his sister has become distrustful. i think... his parents probably died shortly before he became an insei... but after a few years, his sister, who is planning to become a doctor, takes him away one summer. she's afraid their grandfather is going to pull Saeki into the family business, and she won't lose her little brother like she lost her parents. they live by the seaside in the south of japan, and Saeki misses playing go. he realizes that he does want to be a pro. they are found, and their grandfather agrees to let them sever their ties to the family, as long as they come home and let him make sure they are safe. when Saeki comes back, his grandfather uses a connection to get him into the Morishita group.

so, the series would have been, basically... 

✓ [Oral Sex and Tears Taste Kinda the Same](https://archiveofourown.org/works/511739)

this would have been the start. i still really like this story, whoops, even though it wasn't at all popular. it's weird, i suppose, to build a series off an unpopular story, but ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

= Insei years, discussion of "differentness" of their homelifes

would have gently revealed those headcanons i have above

= Ashiwara's boyfriends

just a little overview of Ashiwara's mostly disastrous dating history.

✓ [That Which Binds Us](https://archiveofourown.org/works/598179)

a little moment of ~~bdsm~~ friendship between Ashiwara and Akira

= butterfly tattoo

i don't remember what this was going to be, but Saeki (in this universe) had a tattoo. i think it was just his way of honoring his parents and his family. but, in my head, that was part of why he always dressed in like turtlenecks, so there was no chance anyone would ever see his tat.

= Ashiwara's father visits the Go Institute

just as it says. his father is there, but at first Ashiwara doesn't think he's supposed to see him. they end up talking in a private room. i think Ashiwara was basically going to come out to his father. (his mother had complained to his father that it was time for Ashiwara to get married, so...)

= the Dragon 

this was the Big Idea one that got all these headcanons going. Ashiwara is dating a scummy jerk, and he shows up to the Go Institute, to get money from Ashiwara, and also because he was sick of Ashiwara talking about Saeki, so he shows up to be a pain. he starts saying things and being Noticed by people Ashiwara doesn't want to Notice, so, Saeki ends up intervening and he punches the boyfriend. the guy goes away and Ashiwara is able to laugh it off, and he goes to dinner with Saeki. however, when he gets home, his boyfriend is there. they argue, but then his boyfriend gets Ashiwara into bed. Ashiwara goes along with what his boyfriend wants because he wants to placate him, but his boyfriend chains him to the bed and then walks out. and out the door. and. Ashiwara realizes that these aren't the normal, sex handcuffs. there's no way for him to get out. he tries to either break the bed or something to get out but.

a few days pass, and Akira is really worried about Ashiwara. he's missed a match and a study session, and he was supposed to pick Akira up from somewhere but didn't show. he's tried to call and message him, but Ashiwara hasn't replied. he goes to Saeki to see if Saeki knows anything. at first, Saeki tries to brush him off, but Akira is persistent, so he agrees to go with Akira to check on Ashiwara. when they get there, Akira is worried because they could tell lights were on and all, but he isn't answering. Saeki gets Akira to check something to distract him, and then he picks the lock to Ashiwara's door. he's not a yakuza brat for nothing. they get inside and find Ashiwara, and Ashiwara... isn't doing well. they manage to get him out (the key was in the other room or something...) but Ashiwara is embarrassed to be seen by Akira like this, so Saeki tells Akira that he'll take care of Ashiwara and then he leaves. After talking to him a bit, Saeki gets it out of him that his boyfriend has a key to the apartment, so Saeki gets Ashiwara to leave and come to his place. He wants to take Ashiwara to a doctor, but Ashiwara is too embarrassed and he's afraid of being found out by his father or mother, but when they get to Saeki's place, Ashiwara basically passes out, so Saeki freaks out and calls his sister. She comes and makes a house call, yakuza doctor style, even though she berates Saeki for not just taking him to a doctor despite his objections, she's NOT a yazkua doctor, dammit!!! however, she sees how Saeki is fussing over Ashiwara and figures out that her little brother finally has someone special... she teases him some more, and Ashiwara wakes up to see her tugging on Saeki's ear or something. Saeki introduces them, and she gives him advice, and then she cheekily tells her brother to take care of his ~~friend~~ and then leaves. Saeki does take care of him, and so... they end up living together for a while. 

Ashiwara is shy, and clearly embarrassed about the whole thing, and he doesn't want to put Saeki out any more, but Saeki won't let him go, and also Ashiwara is amazed to see Saeki's place. 

anyway, one thing and then another happens, and Saeki realizes that Ashiwara has no idea how he feels, so... he finally at some point takes off his shirt, and shows off his yakuza-like tattoo. he tells Ashiwara all about his family, and Ashiwara admires his tattoo, and then tells him about his family...

yeah, they get together.

Ashiwara gets his locks changed for his apartment, and eventually moves back. he's nervous about breaking it off with his boyfriend bc he's not good at ending things, plus this guy is crazier than he realized... but he figures he'll cross that bridge if he has to. he tells Saeki that he's worried about the guy showing up at the Go Institute again, and Saeki tells him not to worry. Saeki won't say anything more, and Ashiwara is kinda oddly impressed and happy at the implication...

actually, Saeki's sister was the one to make a call. yeah, that guy won't be bothering Ashiwara anymore.

= Going home (Saeki introduces Ashiwara to his family)  
= Going home, flipside (Ashiwara introduces Saeki to his mother, and then to his father)

two part finale where they introduce each other to their families.


	10. Hikaru no Go  ~ Waya and Isumi series

so, despite how it might appear, waya/isumi was always my favorite HnG pairing. i say despite appearances because i hardly, it felt, wrote for them, mostly focusing on hikaru/akira. i had a couple of notable ones, but still. i had an idea for a small series of stories focusing on my idea of their canon-post-canon build up to their relationship. i actually did write one of them, the start. 

✓ [Taking the heat](https://archiveofourown.org/works/906335): isumi (19) comes out to his family to deflect from his littlest brother getting his girlfriend pregnant (second brother Seiji (17), youngest Taizo (15))

after that, i planned to switch to waya's pov, so i just had this line as an idea:  
= waya tries desperately to get together with isumi

i don't remember anything at all about any precise plans, but i do recall at one point having the idea of waya unexpectedly bonding with akira due to akira pointing out that HE had SUCCESSFULLY transitioned a friendship to a romance (i mean, clearly HIKARU wasn't the one initiating, he's an idiot. waya can't argue with that). so yeah, he gets romantic advice from akira, and it's actually going well... he gets isumi over to his apartment for a quiet dinner together, and then... isumi gets a call from a guy. maybe a doctor his mom is trying to set him up with. he says something, and waya realizes that he's not even on isumi's radar. he actually gets up and leaves isumi alone so he can go to a stairwell and call akira. akira doesn't know what to tell waya. isumi is clueless.

= slut!isumi   
so, for the next bit... my notes indicate that i'd outlined this for blind_go round 13, which would have taken place before Taking the heat was written, so it was an idea i had before i'd fully thought this out. but, by 'idea', i really mean... i just kinda wanted to mess with isumi. ^_^;;;;; he has such 'good guy' shine to him, i wanted to see him be a little 'slutty' and explore his options, his sexuality... 

you'll see in this pretty-fleshed-out outline that this... wouldn't have really fit with the the series i'm describing here. but, i never ended up writing this, and i probably would have made adjustments to make it fit into the timeline. basically, there were ideas in this outline i really liked and wanted to flesh out (yang hai being a kind of interference between waya and isumi, isumi not knowing about waya's scar and just randomly touching it one day...) i also liked the idea that, after coming out to his parents, isumi kind of... goes through a PHASE where he loses himself to a degree. also, the biggest obstacle in waya/isumi is always, of course, the age difference when they first meet and become friends. for isumi, getting out of that 'waya is like my adorable little brother who annoys me and that's why i can't stop thinking about him what no waya is straight and i'm not a pervert, i don't want anything else with waya' headspace is what it would be all about. so, anyway. i have this outline, have had it for literally YEARS, and this is what would have been modified to ultimately lead to waya and isumi getting together.

title: what is left for us

++

isumi picks up random guy (Akihiko) for sex, stays over at his messy apartment, has sex again in the morning. as he heads back to his place, he gets confused about what day of the week it is, and what his schedule is. thinks about how waya will be coming home to japan n a few days.

++

isumi at home, surrounded by pleasant family chaos. his mother nags him to get married. he grinds his teeth, thinking about the mean things he could say in response, but he never says a word. reminicing goes on, and one of his brothers asks him about waya, but despite thinking about a lot of things, he brushes off their questions.

++

he has sex with ogata.

++

he sees waya for the first time since waya returns - notes all the differences (a few centimeters taller, face and eyes look more mature, hair is shorter and sexier... scar on his cheek below his eye) but he doesn't talk to him. has a short conversation with ochi and his student.

he goes to the second district that night, picks up a guy and they go to a hotel. on the way out on his own, he runs into nase in the elevator. awkward conversation --

"How is Waya?"

"...If I knew the answer to that question, I probably wouldn't be here."

\-- she forces him to grab a bite with her at a family restaurant, they talk. he explains about how he cheated on waya with Yang Hai, and didn't tell waya even tho waya was leaving for china to go work with yang hai. they talk about the past and how where they are isn't where they expected to be. isumi falteringly tries to make promises to keep in touch better.

++

isumi is working on hooking up with a guy when the guy says something that reminds isumi too much of waya, and so he ditches him. it starts to rain as he walks home.

++

Sakurano corners isumi and asks him about his future plans for marriage, tells him that morishita is trying to arrange a marriage for waya. she asks him about waya until he abruptly brushes her off, slapping her hand away from him. unable to apologize properly, he takes off.

later, he stumbles out of a hotel, sore from too-rough sex. cursing himself and the guy he was with, he bumps into Akihiko again, who has some experience with the guy isumi was with. after some prodding, he convinces isumi to come home with him, so he can tend to isumi a bit. they end up fooling around a bit.

++

the next day, isumi has a match, and is seated next to waya. it's an uncomfortable and embarrassing game, but his opponent forfeits early for some unknown reason. barely able to control his frustration, he cleans up the board, but can't help slamming down the bowls a bit. he goes to the bathroom to try to compose himself, but after a bit, waya comes in to talk to him. isumi is surprised that waya is so friendly and casual with him, but notices how waya keeps his distance. waya then tells him that the reason his opponent forfeited (and that he lost his match) was because isumi has a visible hickey on his collar bone. asks isumi if he has time that afternoon, and takes isumi back to morishita's house. he argues with morishita's daughter like siblings would, and then bring isumi into the room he's occupying there. they talk a bit, and argue some, waya telling isumi that his parents are divorced and his mom's new lover is only a few years older than isumi. waya wants to know why isumi wouldn't tell him that he slept with yang hai before waya had to go and work with him, isumi just says that he was a coward. waya asks him about being promiscuous, tells him that honda and sakurano have both told him about some of isumi's 'exploits.' isumi dodges most of the questions, though, and when morishita-sensei comes home, isumi leaves. he hears morishita telling waya that it would be better not to spend too much time with isumi.

++

isumi goes out to the second district, but he drinks and gets angry with people who approach him. he has an angry conversation with a guy who attempts to pick him up, ending with giving the guy a blow job in the alley. he goes home, and stares in the mirror, wondering what the the hell he has become.

++

shindou and touya are arguing in the lobby of the go institute while waya, isumi, and honda wait for him. waya tries to yell out to shindou, but honda tells him how useless that is. isumi wonders why he signed up to go on this go exhibition - it's part of waya's ongoing project to increase go awareness through computers, after all. it has nothing to do with him. totally at random, he reaches out and touches the scar on waya's face. waya is shocked. he asks what happened, and, flustered, waya starts to tell him -- an accident that nearly got him killed while rock climbing. isumi is totally shocked, his face and mind going totally blank. waya notices this but then shindou finally comes over and they can go on their trip.

++

at the hotel, after they made their introductions, the foursome go drinking, but when they finally break up for the night, isumi grabs waya by the arm and drags him into isumi's room. finally, he cracks, and lets out everything he's let get bottled up for years, so many years. "I never once thought there could ever be chance we wouldn't make up!" he begs waya's forgiveness, telling him that both the times he was with yang hai, it was a mistake. the first time, he wasn't with waya, but he lost his virginity to yang hai when he didn't care about him, partially because he was depressed at the time and desperate to catch up to waya. the second time, there was no excuse, except that he didn't really want to sleep with yang hai, and even told him as much, but when yang hai pressed him, he didn't forcefully push him away. he then apologizes for everything under the sun, and admits that he was too scared to tell waya about his past with yang hai because waya was already jealous of isumi's chinese friends, and he didn't want to admit that he'd made such a huge mistake. he tells waya over and over that he loves him. waya, kind of in shock, finally moves, and tackles isumi to the bed. 

the next morning, they both ignore their phones, but when someone comes to pound on their door, waya finally gets up to answer it. honda is shocked to see waya in isumi's room, and waya tells him that they are going to skip breakfast, so they'll meet the rest of them down there later for when the exhibition opens. he goes back to bed and cuddles and teases isumi some - calling him Mr. Perfect. reluctantly, he orders room service, because he wants to feed isumi in bed before they shower and go down, but he'd rather spend all day in bed with isumi.

++

that night, he pulls isumi to his room. from the bottom of his duffel, he pulls out a crumpled up letter. it's from yang hai, to isumi. isumi sets it aside, and they make love, and talk some. waya mentions how his love for isumi is pathetic, because he'll forgive isumi for anything - once - just because he's isumi's faithful dog. after sex, isumi picks up the letter again and they read it together. yang hai apologizes for forcing isumi the second time they were together, and talks about how he wanted to hate waya, but ended up falling for him a little bit, too. and how he wishes he'd fucked waya at least once before waya went home, but figures waya wouldn't have gone for it, anyway.

isumi says that he's got to stop living in the past, and finally begin moving forward... since waya is back.

++  
five years later  
++

isumi has won the judan title, and they have a party to celebrate.


	11. legend of korra  ~ kuvira's trial

ahahaahhhahhahhahahahhah ahhhh *wipes tear away as i laugh* the end of Legend of Korra was... inspiring. to say the least. so much so that... for a while, i was really fired up by a post-series idea of... Kuvira being on trial for her many, many war crimes, and... i kinda remember that there would be a bulk of it focused on her true feelings for Baatar Jr and whether or not he could forgive her, as well as her relationships with Su and the rest of the metal clan fam. and somewhere in there... Korra and Zaheer in the spirit world talking. i don't remember much else, but it filled my imagination for the longest time and i... only wrote this much, so. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ 

"Hey Kid."

Korra started, and turned to smile sheepishly. "Hey, Chief. How... How's it going?" She looked pointedly at the door of the court room.

Chief Beifong shrugged. "Better than we had any right to expect. Kuvira is taking full responsibility, and she isn't denying any of the charges. _Any_ of them. One guy claimed she stole his cat-monkey. She didn't even argue about _that_."

Korra checked to see if the Chief was joking, but even if she was, there was no way for Korra to tell. "Did you already...?"

"Yeah," the Chief grunted. "Well, Su did most of the testifying, though. I just... told them about the people who died defending Republic City."

"Yeah," Korra sighed, looking down. She glanced over at Su, who was talking quietly with her eldest son. Baatar Jr was looking at Korra, but Korra couldn't read his expression. "I forgot to even ask... is Baatar Jr going to be charged, or...?"

"They were going to," the Chief replied under her breath, "but Kuvira promised complete submission as long as she and she _alone_ would bear the responsibility of her actions. She said she was the Great Uniter, and everyone under her was acting on orders. It doesn't sit right with everyone, but Prince Wu said the Earth Kingdom needed healing, not hurting. His words," the Chief shook her head.

Korra nodded slowly. She was glad Su's son wouldn't have to go to jail, but she understood that not everyone would see it that way.


	12. d.gray-man  ~ komui focused

for 10 whores challenge a million years ago

so, the 10 whores challenge was... one of those (old?) fandom challenges where you would write 10 (or however many) fics either connected or just thematically connected on a certain prompts. in this case... smuttyness. tho, apparently i made it vampirey?? so. not sure. anyway. i BARELY remember what my plans here were, except that oddly, there was a time in fandom where... there was like NO interest in Komui anything, and as he was my BY FAR FAVORITE character in the series, i was determined to both create and inspire more stuff. uh. to very limited success, alas. also... is there still a dgm fandom? that series suffered deeply from there being long, long, protracted breaks in the publication, plus didn't the mangaka suffer from both health issues and bullying? i remember there being some thing of like... her (i think) getting attacked for plagiarism, but ultimately wasn't it like... she borrowed poses or something from advertising photos? i might have that confused with something else. i think there was something about character design, because all the characters changed and then... people hated THAT because nothing looked recognizable anymore. i don't really know, but i do know i caught up with the manga earlier this year and i just... didn't feel connected anymore to the plot or characters. it's a shame because it was really good for a long while, but... a lot of these shonen-style series would benefit MASSIVELY from being given more concrete life spans. that's a whole other conversation, but anyway.

presented below is what i had completed for the challenge, but it's... not a lot. not a lot at all. i'm pretty sure my greatest regret with this is that i structured this whole thing to save the best, Komui/Cross, for last. alas, so little got done... i should have just done Cross first, and then i could have just made it a standalone. 

title: throwing away the sun  
disclaimer: nope, not mine, just love 'em...  
summary: the lengths Komui will go to and the things he will sacrifice to protect the ones he loves  
warnings: erm. bloodplay? ^_^;;;

~*~

_a map of the world_

~*~

The match head dragged slowly across the flint, flaring up eventually into a roar of flame which quickly subsided. He held the now stable flame to the wick of the candle, waiting for the flare of heat and light before shuffling off to the next candle. Slowly, his withered hands holding the match steadily as it burned closer and closer, he went in this way to each candle in the small bookshop. It was not for the sake of his eyes, but for the sake of the young man outside that he went through this ritual. When all thirteen of the candles in the shop were lit, he shuffled back to his desk to sit down.

The young man outside was definitely human, or else he wouldn't be outside waiting for the shop to be lit to enter. Not that he needed to question the scent the young man was giving off. He often entertained humans in his shop, so it wasn't unheard of at all, but it was always interesting. Most of the time, those humans who knew what they were getting into came in afraid. Those that did not came in excited. This young man reeked of calm.

It was interesting, but there was work to do. He opened the text he currently writing, and dipped his quill into the ink once more. He had returned to a steady pace of scratching over the surface of the parchment when the bells on the door jingled. He had no need to look up, but he inhaled deeply.

The young man was clean... exotic. Eastern. Probably Chinese. His footfalls were soft, but determined. 

Interesting.

Bookman continued to work on his text, though. Some things were interesting, and some things were important. He waited to hear the young man's words. Greetings and formalities... they contained little information, but they were essential bookends to a conversation.

"Excuse me." he started politely. Bookman didn't bother to respond. "I was told that you had... information. About the Black Order."

Bookman stayed his quill for a moment. He hadn't expected that, and unexpected things sometimes led to unfortunate blots of ink on the page. "You're direct," he gruffly acknowledged.

"I did not think there would be an advantage to subterfuge," he replied blandly.

Bookman spared the young man a look. He had long, inky black hair, pulled back into a tail, but there were a few stray strands framing his face. He wore a simple beret, but the rest of his clothes were Chinese, and he had a pair of short, rectangular glasses on the end of his nose. Bookman looked through the lenses carefully; they were not simple glass, so they were for the correction of his eyesight, but the prescription was mild.

"What advantage do you think you _can_ gain by asking me about the Order?" he asked, his voice rumbling a bit in his throat. His age was not insignificant, and he cultivated the appearance of it, as he found that to be the best disguise he could ever hope for, anyway.

"I wish to _find_ the Order... and join."

He looked the young man - the boy - over once more, and grunted. He bent over his parchment. "So, you have illusions of fighting demons, mm? I presume you have been injured by a demon, then. And you have studied and trained, and now you want revenge." There weren't that many variations on the tale. It wasn't the most interesting story in his books.

"I have been injured. My sister was taken from me by the Order." Bookman's hand stilled once more. Interesting... he kept being interesting. "I want to find them and join them so I can be with her again."

Bookman carefully set his hand down on the table, holding the quill at an angle so no ink would spill. He gave the young man a serious look. "Your sister is an exorcist?" He could judge the answer by the young man's subtle shift in posture. "Whatever you think you know of the Order, boy... you should know. To them, she is naught but a tool, and they will use her until she wears out and breaks." The boy winced, so Bookman continued on, with a bit more verve. "It's pointless. Come to terms with her death now."

"That is something... I will not do," the boy replied tightly. "Even if it is true... It doesn't matter. If the time left is a week or even a day, or if it is fifty years, it will only be time that we can have _together_ if we _are_ together."

Bookman leaned back, and carefully put his quill down on its stand. He inhaled slowly. At this proximity, he could sense the fear, but it was buried deeply. "What is your name, child?"

The boy looked him right in the eye. Good kid. "Lee Komui. Maybe... it seems strange, but. Our parents were killed before our eyes. My sister is all I have, and more importantly, _I'm_ all _she_ has."

The boy's eyes were blazing with passion. It was a good look, and one that Bookman could respect. Knowing the child's resolve, though, offered him no good reason to trust the lad. "And what... incentive... can you offer me for relating said information to you?"

Komui had the decency to look a bit nervous. He looked around the store... he leaned forward to look at what Bookman was writing. He let the boy, since his shorthand was based on three different dead languages, he knew that only one he had trained himself could read it. Komui furrowed his brow and adjusted his glasses.

"Ah, I see. This is about the restructuring of the Italian government after that scandal. Mm. Well, it's not like I can read it perfectly. I found this place by following the lead of the parchment merchant, though. There was some indications of you - or your line - in some of the ancient texts of both the T'ang and Liao dynasties, as well as some archaic Indian texts. Of course, you'd be interested in the Order and their war with the Noah. A secret war required a secret record, after all. I found the parchment by accident... a scrap was left behind in a Sumerian tomb suspected of being an early exorcist, before the Order. It was a rare type, very old but still in production, so I made an intuitive leap. I analyzed the parchment to determine its exact origins, found the supplier, and tracked you by its shipments. 

"Clearly, there's nothing a _boy_ like me can offer someone like you, but if there's something you want to ask for, I will give anything," he finished, looking Bookman in the eye.

Bookman licked his parched lips slowly. Well. The boy was more than interesting, perhaps. Bookmen were just observers, and yet. He wasn't, and his master before him as well, above giving history a push or two. The Black Order had few enough weapons, so perhaps a shrewd young man wouldn't be enough to tip the scales...

"A price... must always be paid. But more than that, a sacrifice must always be given. If you understand that... and the nature of the Order... then you must already know what you need to give to gain information in that quarter."

Komui's eyes widened slightly... so he did understand. Bookman pushed open the robe he had thrown on for the appearance of warmth, revealing his black coat, and the silver cross on his breast...

Komui nodded once, and came over to Bookman's chair. He opened the button at his neck, loosening the collar... Bookman's fangs extended. 

"More, boy," he purred quietly. 

Komui's fingers shivered, but he didn't falter. He kept unbuttoning his jacket until it was completely open. Bookman reached down, running one papery finger down Komui's chest...

Youth had a strange feeling to it. Bookman leaned down slowly, baring his fangs. He felt Komui tense up, and he could smell the fear, ripe and potent, however.

Komui's body was rigid, and he reached up to put his hands on Bookman's shoulders, almost inviting him closer. Bookman's fangs sank into Komui's throat, and Komui whimpered as his blood gushed out. Bookman suckled slowly, enjoying the taste and texture. He accepted the blood the Order offered him because it gave him more time for his study and research, but he didn't normally indulge in feeding.

He wasn't totally out of practice, though.

He pulled back as slowly as he had leaned in, watching Komui. He was breathless and pale, and his eyes were closed, but otherwise...

Mm.

Bookman took a spare scrap of parchment, and scribbled down some digits. Komui, realizing that he had paid enough, started to button up again, his fingers a bit clumsier than when he had undressed. Bookman pushed the scrap of paper to the corner of the desk, and went back to his work.

Komui took a minute, but then he stood, and took the paper. He just stared at it for a few moments...

"Ah. Coordinates. Latitude and longitude, mm?"

Bookman didn't bother responding, but he smiled tightly.

Komui exhaled, and bowed low to Bookman, who spared him a glance, but... as Komui was on his way out the door, Bookman coughed slightly.

"Komui. That will take you to Hevlaska. If she determines you to be worthy, you may indeed take the next step forward. But think hard on your sister's fate, son. She may not want you to share it." Bookman looked up at Komui, gauging his reaction.

Komui just smiled brightly. "I doubt she will. But... if it is a choice between her being unhappy alone, and unhappy with me..." He shrugged, and left the store with just the tinkle of bells behind him.

Bookman grinned, and bent over his work. He liked recording things that were interesting.

~*~

_lucy's diamonds_

~*~

He looks me right in the eye and I see stars there in the blackness at the center. I think I laughed a bit, but he doesn't react. He can't see what's in his own eyes, of course, but all he sees is what's ahead of him.

Still, I think this means that he sees nothing at all because he can't know what's ahead of him.

_You can bring me into the Order, right?_ he asks, his voice is clear and to the point, like a dagger, shiny. There's desperation leaking from his brow, and I want to tell him not to be in such a rush. There are so many ways to go and each route leads to the same hell, or heaven. 

When I smile, I wonder what it is that he sees. Just the fangs? _In my body, there flows the blood of every exorcist who has ever served this Order. If I take your blood, I can decide which gate you walk through. If you are prey, there is one door, if you are worthy, there is another._

He braces himself. If he's afraid of pain, he doesn't flinch. It's only rejection he fears. He opens his collar for me, and I push away his clothing even more, beautiful white silk parting to reveal beautiful pale skin as my hand moves lower than it needs to...

I penetrate him, let my fangs really sink in, let his blood rip into me, sing in me. There's night here, too, in his flow and ebb, but the stars are in his eyes, which are closed now. I can see expanse and a future in the sweat building in the hair laying over his neck.

Pretty hair.

I pull away and he remains, above me and below me, his eyes no longer showing the stars as they blankly stare at the skyless ceiling. 

_Hevlaska..._ he whimpers, and I want to keep him.

His blood will be enough.

_A door will open for you,_ I promise him. _But there is no blood in me for you._

Drink from the cup and never drink from another cup again. Be drunk from, and be drink forevermore. Such is the nature of the Order. Such is the nature of the blood, the only weapon we have against the Earl. I can tell his sister that, poor thing. Her brother is coming for her.

She can drink of him, too.

~*~

_a birdcage with no door_

~*~

He paced around the parapet. In theory, this area was off-limits, but that. That was because of the sun, right? He leaned against the wall, and sank down, until he was sitting, and looked up at the sky. The last time he'd been outside was... over two weeks ago. It had been raining then. He looked at the blue sky unblinkingly, like he might have forgotten that the sky was, in fact, blue.

He might have.

There was a sound of a cup of coffee being put down next to him, and a shadow. He lifted up his hand, shading his eyes from the shade, and turned his head to look at the source. 

He blinked. It was tall, blondish, smiling... ah, right, he was new. He was a scientist, too. A damned hard worker, he'd heard it be said.

Komui was too tired to react.

"Is it really all right to be here? I thought this was against the rules," he said anxiously, looking around.

"Then leave," Komui sighed. He regarded the coffee. He did want to drink that.

"S-sorry. I just... never mind." He sat down, his back to the stone guardrail. He smiled again. His smile was wide. 

Komui just watched him.

"My name's Reever. By the way. We were never really introduced. Well, I think you were there when I first came in, but... you were asleep?" He laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. Komui blinked. "Wenhamm Reever." He blushed furiously in the face of Komui's blank stare. "Er. Well, I thought we should be better acquainted, working together and all. I saw the plans for your latest invention, and I was impressed. And I... I..." he bit his lip.

Unexpectedly, he leaned forward, pushing Komui's collar down. He ran his unsubtle fingers over Komui's wound, and his eyes took on a glean of concern.

"I thought they were only supposed to feed from one source once a week. Monsters..." Reever shook his head.

Komui narrowed his eyes, and pushed Reever's hand away. "My sister is one of those monsters," he said bitterly.

Reever's eyes widened, and he started to shake his head, discombobulated. "Oh, no, I didn't mean... that is... I know that, and I..."

Komui watched Reever flail about like a fish on the deck of a boat before the fisherman stopped its pursuit of freedom. How did Reever have so much energy, anyway? "Where did you come from?"

He stopped dead, and visibly shifted gears. He grinned, then, and shrugged. "Oh... Australia."

"Australia..." Komui repeated weakly. He tipped his head back and closed his eyes. "That's far away. That's even further away than China... so. Do you miss home?"

"That's a funny question," Reever chuckled. "I mean. Well. No one has asked me anything remotely like that since I got here. Aren't we supposed to think only about destroying the akuma?"

"We can't do that," Komui replied flatly. 

"Right... only... _they_ can..." Reever said. It sounded like he shivered, but shivers didn't make a sound, so Komui was only projecting, maybe.

"Exorcists," he sharply completed Reever's thought. "They're the only ones with the weapons." They _were_ weapons, but. That wasn't it.

"Right. I know. Well. It doesn't seem like... anyone thinks about anything other than that here, so." Reever sighed.

Komui opened his eyes. The sun was high and bright... Reever had his legs pulled up to his chest, and his arms were folded on top of his knees. He looked like a child sulking. Komui smiled. "So. Do you miss home?"

Reever's eyes widened, and he looked Komui in the eye. After a moment, he shrugged. "There's nothing left for me to miss now. It's the same for you, right? Your sister... is why you..."

Komui shifted, and picked up the coffee cup. It felt like it weighed a hundred pounds or more. He sipped the bitter fluid cautiously, and then took a gulp, letting it burn its way down to his gut. "I miss home, though. Remembering that we used to live under the sun... isn't that _why_ we support the exorcists and this damned Order?"

He set the mug down carefully, making sure to keep it level enough that it didn't spill. But, he didn't need to bother. Reever pushed his shoulders back, and then he attacked Komui's mouth, parting his lips... The bitter taste was covered with Reever's rough tongue. He tasted like lack of sleep. Reever pulled Komui closer, still holding his shoulders roughly and awkwardly. 

The kiss broke off and Komui looked into Reever's eyes innocently, just waiting for his reaction. Reever slowly turned bright red, and then he pushed Komui back, edging away as much as he could, which wasn't much, since the parapet was narrow. "I-I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking! I just! I..." He bit his lip.

Komui raised an eyebrow, and then lifted the coffee cup again, just inhaling for a moment before taking another gulp, returning to his mouth that coffee aftertaste. 

Reever put his hands down on the floor beside him on either side and bent his head down. "I didn't mean to... I just. It was an impulse! Because... of the way your hair looked in the sun... ah, forget it, I'm just sorry! It's just... being trapped in this place..."

"It's not a trap if you walk in with your eyes open," Komui tiredly countered. They were here of their own free will. If not, he really wouldn't be able to take it. He set the mug down, and scooted over, putting his head down on Reever's chest. Reever stiffened up. "As punishment, you have to make sure I don't get sunburned."

It was almost amusing how Reever was seemingly afraid to breathe, even, but. 

He was asleep too quickly to really appreciate it.

~*~

_writing for show_

~*~

(calligraphy, bak-chan)

~*~

_dreaming in heat_

~*~

(a midsummer night, kanda)

~*~

_feet dangle from the castle in the sky_

~*~

(head in the clouds, miranda)

~*~

_vertigo_

~*~

(disoriented, lenalee)

~*~

_chaos wrapped in a lacquered finish_

~*~

(Pandora's box, tyki mikk)

~*~

_a book with no author_

~*~

(without a name, Lavi)

~*~

_every smile you fake_

~*~

(paranoia, Cross) (lyric - every breath you take, police)

~*~

end


End file.
